Bionutrient Fatty Acids

Polyunsaturated Beef!

In this post we share fatty acid results from our participation in the BioNutrient Institute’s Beef Study. We have written a number of times about the beneficial fats found in pasture raised beef. Annually we share the our fatty acid analysis data by reporting the Omega 6:3 ratio of our beef. Below we show how the beef we raise and harvest from our pastures compares with 251 other “Grass-Fed Beef” samples and 78 other “Grain-Fed Beef” samples participating in the study.

The one thing that jumps out right away is DS Family Farm Pasture Grazed Beef is significantly higher in TOTAL “Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids”. This includes all Omega 3 and Omega 6 Polyunsaturated fats. DS Family Farm reported values are an average based on 3 ribeye samples from our 2022 beef harvest.

DS Family Farm Beef Polyunsaturated Data Notes

• Beef harvested from our pasture average almost twice as much total polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to all averaged samples for grass-fed and grain-fed in the study. (9.5% vs. 5.7% vs. 5.0%)
• DS Family Farm beef has the highest Omega 6 fatty acids.
• DS Family Farm beef has the highest Omega 3 fatty acids.
• DS Family Farm beef has the lowest (beneficial health marker) Omega 6:3 Ratio at 1.83:1.
  • A lower O6:3 ratio is considered beneficial since the Standard American Diet has a high O6:3 ratio.
  • The omega-6:3 ratio is important because an imbalance, especially a high omega-6 intake relative to omega-3, can promote inflammation and is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases. A balanced ratio supports optimal health and reduces inflammation-related health issues.

Fatty Acid Summary Charts

We will share Mineral results from the BioNutrient Beef Study in a future blog post.