There’s a common expression, “You are what you eat,” a saying which emphasizes the importance of a nutrient dense diet for overall health and longevity. Beef truly is a superfood; from bones, offal, and the meat itself, there’s value in every inch of the bovine. Not to mention the other benefits associated with bovine colostrum, milk, and tallow.
Beef: Beef is extremely nutrient-dense! When comparing high-quality proteins, beef contains far more nutrients in a smaller serving size than the others. A single 3 oz. serving is only 175 calories, 25g protein, and offers several essential nutrients, including the following…
Beef’s Top 10:
1. Iron: helps your body use oxygen (14% DV)
2. Choline: supports nervous system development (13% DV)
3. Protein: helps preserve and rebuild muscle (51% DV)
4/5. Vitamins B6 & B12: help maintain brain function and provide energy (28/101% DV)
6. Phosphorus: help build bones & teeth (16% DV)
7. Zinc: help maintain a healthy immune system (53% DV)
8. Niacin: supports energy production & metabolism (31% DV)
9. Riboflavin: help convert food into fuel (19% DV)
10. Selenium: help protect cells from damage (48% DV)
When shopping for beef, it’s important to select beef that’s pasture-raised. This is because the nutrient density of beef is directly correlated to the diversity of the cow’s feed intake. Therefore, it’s also wise to select beef that’s rotationally grazed as this form of livestock management naturally encourages plant diversity within pastures. At Central Bridge Farms we strive to provide high quality, nutrient-dense beef that’s all natural, pasture-raised, and rotationally raised using regenerative, sustainable, & holistic management practices.
Offal/Supplements: Offal describes the edible internal organs of an animal; examples of beef offal include the heart, liver, tongue, & kidneys. In general, offal is high in protein, Vitamin A, and rich in iron. Various offal offers several other additional advantages. And while offal consumption is extremely beneficial, it can sometimes be intimidating to consume. My personal preference for offal consumption is in supplement form. The offal can be dehydrated, ground, and encapsulated for easy use.
My current supplement (designed for females) contains the following beef offal: liver, heart, kidneys, ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes. Consumption of these organs provide the female body with significant volumes of Vitamin A, Ubiquinone (CoQ10), iron, Vitamin B12, & selenium, resulting in increased energy, hormone balance, improved mood, & optimal menstruation. My husband’s beef offal supplement contains testicles, liver, and whole blood extract. These vital nutrients and peptides increase exercise performance, male hormone production, and reproductive health. More specifically this supplement includes fatty acids, selenium, activin, inhibin, endothelin, zinc, Vitamins A/D/E/K2, riboflavin, folate, choline, copper, biotin, CoQ10, liver expressed antimicrobial peptide, and ergothioneine peptide. The benefits of beef offal consumption are numerous, and I highly suggest giving them a try!
Bone Broth/Collagen: Bone broth consumption is directly related to improved sleep quality, reduced inflammation, increased energy levels, improved mood, & promotes digestion. Bone broth also contains collagen which offers several benefits in-and-of itself such as hair, skin, nail, and joint health. Collagen aids in skin elasticity & wrinkle reduction. More specifically, beef broth contains glucosamine & chondroitin, common components in joint pain supplements. Additionally, bone broth contains powerful antioxidants that help fight inflammation. Lastly, bone broth contains electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, & magnesium which play a vital role in maintaining fluid balance.
Bone broth is easy to make, simply roast beef bones in the oven before placing them on the stovetop to simmer in water & herbs. Bone broth is excellent for cooking (and it also makes an amazing hot chocolate!)
Gelatin: The most abundant protein found in the human body is collagen, playing a key role in numerous body functions. Collagen is the protein found in bones and connective tissues. When you cook collagen, you create gelatin. Gelatin is a slightly different form of collagen, sharing an almost identical amino acid profile. The greatest difference between collagen and gelatin is that gelatin will thicken when cooled into a gel-like substance. Benefits of gelatin include younger, firmer, & healthier skin, joint health support, promotes deeper sleep, improves gut function and digestion (amino acids), reduces excess inflammation, builds & restores muscle, metabolism support, & promotes healthy brain function.
Bovine gelatin is an excellent source of protein, with a single serving consisting of roughly 98% protein. Gelatin can be used in anything that needs to be thickened; and you can get creative, making healthy gummy bears, fruit gelatin, marshmallows, or even custards! There’s even an option for hydrolyzed collagen, a tasteless, water-soluble option that dissolves in liquids. Hydrolyzed collagen doesn’t thicken so you can use it in coffee, smoothies, or just a glass of water. Gelatin consumption is a great way to support your body with the nutrients it needs to function, repair, and grow.
Colostrum: Colostrum (AKA. Liquid Gold) is the first milk produced by a cow, directly after calving. Colostrum is extremely nutrient dense, containing antibody levels 100x greater than regular milk. These powerful antibodies have been used to fight various viruses & bacteria, improving gut health, and providing an immunity boost. Colostrum has been used to combat diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, sepsis, autism, and diabetes. Colostrum has also been linked to aid in athletic performance and child growth.
Bovine colostrum can be sourced in dehydrated/powder form to be added into coffee, milk, or protein powder.
Whole Raw Milk/Dairy Products (Butter): While this article is primarily focused on the benefits of beef, I believe it’s important to also highlight some benefits of bovine in general. Cows are miraculous creatures, capable of producing an incredible array of nutrient-dense foods. Beef cows are bovine that have been bred with the genetic focus of beef production, while dairy cows are bovine that have been bred with the genetic focus of dairy production.
Milk is a key source of several essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, protein, potassium, and vitamin B12. The calcium and vitamin D in milk are directly linked to maintaining strong bones. The zinc, vitamin A, and selenium found in milk also helps support a healthy immune system. Vitamin A is specifically linked to healthy skin and vision. Potassium in milk helps regulate blood pressure. And the amino acids of milk aid in muscle growth & repair. Milk is also a good source of protein, promoting satiety.
Since 1914 the state of New York has required farmers to pasteurize dairy milk for commercial sale. Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to a specific temperature (140-160℉) for a set period of time (15-30 seconds) to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. Pasteurization also extends the milk’s shelf-life and alters the milk’s taste & texture by reducing the present enzymes. However, the process of pasteurizing milk not only kills any potentially harmful bacteria, it kills the good bacteria (AKA probiotics), enzymes, and antioxidants as well.
In addition to the benefits of milk, raw milk contains probiotics and enzymes that aid in digestion/lactose intolerance. The antibodies and antimicrobial proteins located in raw milk can also provide an immune system boost. Raw milk protein consists of 80% casein and 20% whey. This whey protein is often damaged during pasteurization. Whey protein contains high-quality, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that promote muscle synthesis- supporting muscle growth, repair, and maintenance. Whey also contains anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties. Lastly, whey contains immunoglobulins which are linked to improved immune function.
There are several factors to consider when weighing the options of pasteurized vs. raw milk, with the ultimate decision being left to the individual. My suggestion is that you do your own research. Pasteurized milk may “be the norm” but raw milk shouldn’t be dismissed without careful consideration. I have personally consumed raw milk for years and find the benefits to outweigh the risk.
Beyond milk; yogurt, cheese, and butter all offer amazing health benefits as well.
Tallow: Tallow is another incredible biproduct of the beef industry. When you melt beef fat, you create tallow. Beef tallow can be used for cooking; however, purified tallow has amazing skincare benefits.
Cooking tallow is versatile, rich in flavor, and has a high smoke-point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking such as frying, searing, and roasting. Cooking tallow also contains a number of nutritional benefits, such as fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K (which support immune & bone health), choline (which aids in regulating memory, mood, muscle control, and other aspects of the brain and nervous system), and fatty acids (rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that support metabolic functions). Cooking tallow can be made from muscle fat or suet. Suet is a specific type of hard fat located around the kidneys.
Skincare tallow is mainly produced from beef suet. Suet contains higher levels of triglyceride, aka stearin, making it perfect for soaps, candles, and skin care products. On our farm, we render beef suet into purified tallow and create various whipped tallow balms and lip balms. These waterless skincare products transform your skin naturally. Whipped tallow balm has several benefits such as improved skin flexibility & moisture (due to saturated fats), encourages cellular regeneration (due to mono saturated fats), amazing anti-inflammatory properties (due to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)), and aids in skin rejuvenation, tone, protection, & healing (due to vitamins A, D, E, & K).Using tallow in your skincare regimen will improve skin texture, reduce redness & fine lines, and create soft, beautiful, glowing skin.
In conclusion, it’s safe to say beef truly is a superfood and cows are miraculous creatures. Beef is an extremely rich, nutrient-dense protein that offers several benefits to the human body. Offal is often a “forgotten medicine” in today’s modern society, but an ancestral resource that’s still prevalent to modern-day health. Offal can be consumed in supplement form to customize the nutritional needs of men & women, including hormonal balances. Bone broth is an excellent source of collagen and gelatin which aid in skin, bone, and joint health, contributing to human longevity. Colostrum, milk, and other dairy products contain beneficial probiotics, amino acids, and enzymes to aid gut health and overall immunity. Lastly, tallow offers noteworthy benefits for the human nervous system. Additionally, tallow is a waterless skincare product that aids in cellular regeneration. There are several nutritional benefits that overlap with each of the bovine subcategories I’ve described. But the benefits of the bovine are incredibly clear.
So until next time, I’ll be sipping my bone broth hot chocolate, after a steak dinner, and rubbing beef fat on my face before bed, LOL
Sincerely,
Mattea VanDerwerken
(Resources for this article include WebMD, beefitswhatsfordinner.com (Beef Top 10), and several various online articles)