Research Commentary: Organic Meats, Milk Could Have More Good-for-you Fats, Study Finds (CNN Health)

I was interviewed by Carina Storrs for CNN Health about the research article published earlier this week in the British Journal of Nutrition, "Composition Differences Between Organic and Conventional Meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis." Click here to read the interview.

Photo credit: factcoexist.com

This study looked at studies conducted over the last 2 decades in Europe, Brazil and the US to try to determine if organic meat was more nutritious than conventional meat. There was not enough information to determine whether one was better than the other in terms of vitamins or minerals. 

The only component that there was enough information to compare was fat, and specifically omega-3 fatty acids. The study showed that there were higher levels of omega-3s in organic as compared to conventional meat, with this finding being driven mainly by beef. 

This makes sense policy- and biology-wise since organically raised cows must have access to the outdoors, whereas this is not true for conventionally raised cows. The omega-3s come from the diet, and diets high in foods eaten while grazing and foraging (namely green grass and other green plants) result in higher levels of omega-3s in the animals. 

The study did not make a distinction between grass-fed and non-grass-fed animals. It is reasonable to expect that non-organic, grass-fed animals would have similarly high levels of omega-3s as organic ones.

This particular study did not look at organic milk, which is reported in the same news article and, I assume, is from another source which I won't comment on here.

Want to know more about omega-3's?

The main omega-3 fatty acids in the diet are ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is found mainly in nuts, seeds and leafy greens, whereas EPA and DHA are found more often in animal products like fatty fish, meat and dairy products. Seaweed also contains EPA and DHA (which is where the fish get it from). 

However, our bodies can convert ALA to EPA and DHA. This generally only occurs in significant amounts if our diets are lower in omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6s are found mainly in vegetable oil, fried foods, processed foods, meat, dairy products, and poultry. This is because the enzyme that converts ALA to EPA and DHA also processes omega-6s to their downstream products.

(Click on image to enlarge) 

The downstream products of omega-6s include inflammatory arachidonic acid, prostaglandins and leukotrienes that contribute to diseases such as asthma, blood clots, arthritis, and atherosclerosis.

The downstream products of omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and are widely touted to have many health benefits.

My Take-home Messages:

Studies show that diets containing red and processed meats (e.g. sausage, bacon, hotdogs, etc.) put people at higher risk of some cancers, heart disease and diabetes. Even though organic and grass-fed beef may contain more omega-3s than conventional beef that is not grass-fed, it is better to get your omega-3s from plant and fish sources. 

If you do choose to eat red meat, try to save it for special occasions, cut down on your portion sizes, and limit it to 1 serving per week. Try to choose organic or grass-fed beef when possible to get more omega-3s and reduce the impact of meat production on the environment.

Tips for Eating Healthy On the Go

"I don't have time to eat healthy."

"This week is really busy.  I'll have to try to eat better next week."

"Someday when I'm less busy, I'll eat better."

"That (healthy thing) takes too long to cook."

It's time to throw those excuses out the window! Check out the interview in this month's, Harvard Health Letter with Kathy McManus, Director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and me about our Tips for Eating Healthy On the Go.

Save time with a Smoothie

Photo credit: thelemonbowl.com

If you feel inspired by the "Try a Smoothie" section, here is one of my favorite smoothie recipes. It's a great meal replacement or workout recovery drink. In addition to the nutrition information shown below, this smoothie contains 5 times the recommended minimum intake of omega-3 fatty acids! This is due largely to the chia seeds, which are one of the richest sources of omega-3s.  Chia seeds have nearly 9 times the omega-3s by weight that salmon does!

Chia Seeds

Photo credit: dineoncampus.com

Michelle's Favorite Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened soymilk
1-1/2 Tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 banana
3 scoops (or 1-1/2 servings) protein powder (I use vanilla-flavored soy protein from Trader Joes or Whole Foods)
1 handful frozen mango or pineapple
1 handful frozen strawberries
1 handful frozen blueberries
1-2 Tablespoons of honey, agave, sugar or Splenda (sweeten to taste)
2 kale leaves (large ribs removed) or 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, optional
Water (about 1/2 cup)

1. Blend soy milk and chia seeds until chia seeds are pulverized and the mixture appears a white with a bunch of black specks.  This only takes a few seconds in a commercial blender, but takes 1-2 minutes in a common household blender.

2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add enough water to blend and make the smoothie the thickness and consistency you want.  Sweeten to taste.  I use 1 Tablespoons sweetener, but many people like it a bit sweeter.

3. Pour and serve.  As long as you're OK eating this with a spoon, you can keep it for up to a day in the refrigerator. The chia seeds soak up a lot of the liquid if left to sit.

Yield: Two 12-16 ounce servings

Smoothie nutrition facts per serving

*If you use Splenda or other non-calorie sweetener, subtract 8g of carbohydrates and 32 calories per serving from the nutrition facts above (i.e. 28g carbs, still 9g fiber, and 269 calories per serving). 

Flax Muffin Recipe

(imported post from "A Chef in Med School" 7/11/2009)

Flax Muffins

This recipe is a great way to get more flax – and therefore omega-3’s – into your diet. Store extras in the freezer for a quick breakfast on-the-go.

Ingredients

2/3 cup raisins (soaked in ¼ cup boiling water)

1-1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup flaxseed meal or nut meal (buy pre-ground or see directions, below)

1/2 cup quick oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash of cloves (and/or nutmeg), optional

2 eggs (or egg substitute, see below)

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tablespoon vinegar mixed with enough

soy or other milk to make 1 cup)

4 tbsp honey

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Pour boiling water over raisins in a small dish, cover and set aside. Line muffin tins with muffin cups and spray cups with non-stick spray. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In as separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredient. Drain raisin liquid into wet ingredients. Stir drained raisins into dry ingredients to coat well with flour. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once, making sure to just mix until just barely moistened (over-mixing makes muffins tough); it is ok to have lumps. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place pan on cooling rack for a couple of minutes. Remove muffins from pan and place directly on cooling rack when the muffins are cool enough to touch with your fingers. Serve with jam and or nut butter.

Checking for Doneness with a Toothpick

To Store: cool muffins completely and then place into a gallon ziplock bag or airtight container. Good for 3-4 days at room temperature or 1-3 months frozen. To thaw, leave at room temperature, or microwave for 30 seconds, or toast in a toaster oven.

Makes approximately 13-14 muffins.

Nutrition Summary -- Per muffing (vegan variation): 131 calories, 3 g total fat, 4 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 4 g of fiber, 9 g sugar, 93mg sodium. Estimated Glycemic Load=12 (medium). (Note: using eggs will add about 30mg each cholesterol and sodium as well as a small amount of saturated fat to each muffin.)

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Vegan Variation -- Use one of the options below to replace eggs. Use soymilk + vinegar instead of buttermilk. Use Agave, corn syrup or other liquid sweetener besides honey.

Egg Replacer for 2 eggs --

Option 1 -- Increase flaxseed meal by 2 Tablespoons and add ½ teaspoon baking powder to the dry ingredients. Drain raisin liquid into a measuring cup and add water to the ½ cup mark; mix with other liquid ingredients.

Option 2 -- In a liquid measuring cup, measure 2 tablespoons powdered Egg Replacer. Add raisin liquid. Add water to the ½ cup mark. Mix with other liquid ingredients.

Making Flax or Nut Meal --

Flax meal: Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder until seeds until seeds turn to a gritty powder. To prevent giving them a coffee taste (or vise versa), either use a grinder dedicated to spices or clean the grinder before and after use by grinding a tablespoon of dried rice and discarding.

Nut meal (or nut butter): Nuts can be ground with just about any grinding implement, the main thing to remember is that you want a coarsely ground flour. If you grind too long, you end up with Nut Butter. Some options for grinding include placing in a ziplock bag and pounding with a rolling pin (or other heavy object), food processor, coffee grinder, mortar & pestle, etc.