|
You look at the raw steak and see
all of the fat—literally, like a light frost upon the meat—and
you figure it has to be bad for your heart and other precious
innards. That’s the only
logical conclusion, given what you’ve been told by experts and
quacks about fat, relative to our bulging waistlines and
arteries. For three decades
headlines have warned us to avoid fats in the diet, first
because of concerns about cholesterol (more later) and more
recently as it relates to the obesity epidemic. Our own
doctors—few of them trained in human nutrition—often reinforce
the notion, advising us to reduce the consumption of fat in
general, without informing us about the specifics.
Yet, this steak frosted with
marbling, primer than prime, is healthy for you, just like all
beef. Plus, this particular steak—Wagyu beef—comes with some
added advantages.
Understanding these added benefits requires wrapping your arms
around the reality few of us consumers understand: dietary fat
is necessary for health, although some types of fat are more
helpful or hurtful than others (see The Skinny on Fats).
The Skinny on Fat
For instance, research indicates that Mono-unsaturated Fatty
Acids (MUFA) are either lower or are neutral to total
cholesterol levels, while increasing High Density Lipoprotein
levels (HDL—good cholesterol).
Information from the Mayo Clinic
points out MUFA represents a healthy fat; the other two being
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) and Omega 3 Fatty Acids,
which are a PUFA. According to the clinic, “These fats, if used
in place of others, can lower your risk of heart disease by
reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-bad
cholesterol) cholesterol levels in your blood.”
Conversely, Saturated Fatty Acids
(SFA) and Trans-fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease
by increasing total and LDL cholesterol (see Reducing
Cholesterol with Beef). “Intake of dietary cholesterol increases
blood cholesterol levels, but not as much as saturated and trans
fats do, and not to the same degree in all people,” explain the
folks at Mayo Clinic. In
other words, foods with higher MUFA:SFA ratios are more
healthful than those with lower ratios. The reason has plenty to
do with the HDLs (good) and LDLs (bad) that combine for a
person’s total cholesterol level.
Wagyu Cattle have more Good Fat
Tim Crowe, Ph.D., senior lecturer of nutrition at the School
of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University in
Australia, explains the Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acid to Saturated
Fatty Acid ratio runs up to three times higher in Wagyu beef
than other beef. Crowe says half of all marbling in a Wagyu
carcass is comprised of mono-unsaturated fats.
According to Steve Smith, Ph.D., a professor of animal science
at Texas A&M University (TAMU), it’s the oleic acid—the primary
component of MUFA—in beef that lowers LDL cholesterol levels.
Icing on the cake comes with the fact that the more oleic acid
there is in beef, the more palatable it is. That’s one of the
reasons Wagyu beef is noted for its tender and savory
palatability. “But, even
the saturated fat contained in Wagyu is different. Forty percent
of it is in a version called stearic acid, which is regarded as
having a minimal impact in raising cholesterol levels,” says
Crowe. “So, really, the profile of marbled Wagyu beef is very
beneficial to human health. It can be described as a healthier
type of meat.”
What’s more, beef is an effective
source of Essential Fatty Acids such as the Omega 3 (Linolenic
Acid) mentioned earlier, as well as Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid). The
body can manufacture most of the fats it needs except for
essential fatty acids.
According to researchers at Washington State University, in
animal studies, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) has prevented
numerous kinds of cancers. Also in animal models it has reduced
LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides. Though CLA has yet to
show strong human health benefits, according to Crowe, the
promise continues to excite researchers.
This is another comparative strength of Wagyu beef, which
contains the highest CLA/gram of any foodstuff. Research
indicates Wagyu beef has about 30% more CLA than beef from other
breeds, according to Crowe.
As for Omega 3 fatty acids, Crowe
explains, “Protecting against heart disease, arthritis,
depression, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, and
anti-carcinogenic properties are some of the main areas of
benefit, but the list keeps growing.”
Though certain kinds of nuts,
fish and olive oil have long been heralded as a primary source
of Omega 3, Crowe explains beef is another significant source,
especially Wagyu beef because it possesses a higher proportion
of monounsaturated fat, compared to other beef.
“Because of its beneficial fatty acid profile, Wagyu beef can be
eaten in place of other varieties of red meat within the context
of overall red meat intake recommendations as part of a healthy
and balanced diet,” says Crowe.
“Everything we’ve done so far tells
us that Wagyu beef is better for you than the typical beef you
can buy in the supermarket,” adds Smith. “We have not yet had
any negative effects of Wagyu beef on plasma cholesterol, LDL
particle diameters, blood glucose, triglycerides, or body
weight.”
Practical Dietary Applications
Smith has conducted research comparing Wagyu beef to that
derived from other breeds. One pilot project compared how
cholesterol metabolism in human subjects was affected by
consuming either domestic ground beef or beef enriched with MUFA.
“What is apparent from these trials
is that increasing the MUFA:SFA ratio in beef truly will lower
the LDL:HDL ratio in free-living individuals,” says Smith. Spun
with a different thread, the more MUFA and the less SFA, the
more good cholesterol (HDL) there is and the less bad
cholesterol (LDL). In a
recent study Smith and his TAMU peers tested the hypothesis that
risk factors for cardiovascular disease would be higher in men
after consumption of hamburger enriched with SFA and Trans-Fatty
Acids (TFA) than after consumption of hamburger enriched with
MUFA. The test subjects had cholesterol levels slightly above
healthy levels. Ten men were fed high-SFA hamburger for a
five-week period and then were rotated to high-MUFA hamburger,
following a three-week transition period.
Domestic and Wagyu steers were fed
pasture-based diets to produce beef high in SFA and TFA, which
was used to formulate high-SFA hamburger. A second set of
domestic and Wagyu steers were fed a corn-based diet to produce
beef high in MUFA, which was used to formulate high-MUFA
hamburger. Grain-feeding increases MUFA, while forage-feeding
increases SFA and TFA. Keep in mind, genetically, Wagyu yields
beef higher in MUFA than non-Wagyu beef.
The researchers found that plasma
triglycerides tended to increase after consumption of the high
SFA hamburger (HDL decreased 8.3% and triglycerides increased
66.2%) and then returned to normal after consuming the hamburger
high in monounsaturated fat. Plasma concentrations of Oleic acid
increased further (+29.7%) with the ground beef high in
mono-unsaturated fat.
“This study has for the first
time demonstrated the ability of hamburger naturally enriched
with MUFA and reduced in TFA to provide possible health
benefits,” says Smith. “Cattle with a genetic predisposition to
deposit MUFA in their lean and fat tissues, such as Wagyu cattle
can be used to produce beef products that are especially
enriched with oleic acid and lower in SFA and TFA. Feeding
practices can further enhance the composition of beef fat. This
indicates that ground beef or hamburger products can be produced
that are naturally enriched with oleic acid, and conversely that
certain production practices can impair the nutritional quality
of beef fat.”
Back at the Ranch
All of this is why U.S. Wagyu breeders, like Robert Estrin
at Lone Mountain Ranch in Golden, NM are so bullish about the
future of Wagyu beef production as a growing and sustainable
niche beef category.
“Demand for the product is so strong that we can’t possibly
supply what the industry requires for the foreseeable future,”
says Estrin. “We (the industry) may not end up with a huge
domestic herd, but building to 25,000 to 30,000 head of
fullblood females nationally would allow us to get close to
satisfying the demand from white tablecloth restaurants in the
U.S. that are begging for quality Wagyu beef.”
That’s what led Estrin to replace
the commercial cow-calf production on his ranch to Wagyu
seedstock production four years ago. Mired in too many years of
drought at the time, he was trying to figure out how to add
value, how to produce and retrieve more value per acre of
production. Most industry
estimates place the number of fullblood Wagyu in the United
States at 3,000-5,000 head. According to Steve Kay, renowned
market analyst, there were approximately 24,000 head of Wagyu-influenced
cattle being fed in U.S. feedlots as of September 1, 2008. There
were approximately 10 million head of all cattle on feed at the
time.
Market prices reflect the supply and demand fundamentals.
According to Estrin, the feedlots seeking F1 Wagyu cattle are
currently paying $20/cwt. more to get them; $100 per head for a
calf weighing 500 lbs.
“What scares some producers is that they think it’s a fad,” says
Estrin. But, he points out the price for Wagyu beef
internationally has continued to grow in emerging markets and
has remained stable in mature markets such as Japan where the
price has been about $300 per pound for more than a decade.
“Cattle producers look at the bottom
line, and the bottom line for Wagyu makes sense because the
health benefits make sense,” says Estrin.
Lowering Cholesterol with Beef
High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
both carry cholesterol—which can’t be dissolved in the blood—to
and from cells. These two lipids, along with triglycerides (a
form of fat made by the body) and Lp(a)—a genetic variation of
LDL—comprise your total cholesterol count.
According to the American Heart
Association, medical experts believe HDL tends to deliver
cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver where the
body can get rid of it. Some experts also believe HDL removes
excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, thus slowing its
build-up. So, high levels of HDL are associated with reduced
risk for heart disease and heart attacks, whereas low levels of
HDL (<40 mg/dL) are associated with increased risk of heart
disease. LDL, on the other
hand, circulates slowly in the blood and can build up on the
inner walls of arteries that carry blood to the brain and heart.
It’s this stuff along with other gunk that can form plaque,
which can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. If a
clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, a heart attack or
stroke can result. So,
foods that either elevate HDL in proportion to LDL or remain
neutral in their influence represent healthier diet choices.
Consequently, despite what a lot of us heard over the past few
decades, beef represents a heart-healthy diet choice.
The Skinny on Fats
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA)—proven by research to be
either neutral to cholesterol levels, or to lower them, while
increasing High Density Lipoprotein (HDL-good cholesterol)
levels. Oleic Acid, the primary component in the
mono-unsaturated fat found in beef lowers Low Density
Lipoprotein (LDL-bad cholesterol) without affecting HDL. It is
associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Wagyu
beef contains a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats than
other beef; the mono-unsaturated fat to saturated fat ratio is
up to three times higher for Wagyu beef than that from other
breeds. Saturated Fatty
Acids—proven by research to raise cholesterol levels and may
increase the risk of Cardiovascular disease. 40% of the
saturated fats in Wagyu beef are in the form of stearic acids
which has a minimum impact on cholesterol.
Essential Fatty Acids—The body can
make most types of fatty acids except these, which must come via
the diet. Among this group, most of the health benefits have
been tied to:
Linoleic acid (Omega 6)—Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a
component of this group. The best source of CLA is beef or dairy
products. Wagyu beef contains the highest CLA/gram of any
foodstuff, about 30% more than beef from other breeds, due to
the higher levels of Linoleic acid.
Linolenic (Omega 3)—fish contain
the highest levels, but beef is also a valuable source,
especially when considering the B vitamins beef supplies that
fish doesn’t.
|
