Beef Ambassador

Howdy,

Alright I’m back! Last week we explored the promotion aspect of the Beef Checkoff. This week I will move on towards the next piece of this multi-faceted organization- Research

In the beef cattle industry, two key topics often stand out when prioritizing research goals. The first being nutrition, and the second one feed efficiency, or sustainability.

Ethanol: Well known in the standard population is the fact that ethanol is made from corn. Less contemplated, is the potential for impact this represents to cattle producers.

The Concern: As one ton of corn is being shipped off for this revolutionary type of fuel, that same ton of corn will not be fed to cattle, the very cattle which will produce the main course for the American family-BEEF.

What did the Beef Checkoff alongside NCBA discover?

Check it out at: http://www.beefresearch.org/CMDocs/BeefResearch/Ethanol%20Co-Products%20Summit%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

Ultimately through the Checkoff and NCBA’s work, distiller’s grain (ethanol by-product) is now fed to cattle as part of a balanced diet. Cattle ranchers are dedicated to sustainable agriculture, and aren’t we proud to have a program such as the Checkoff to aid in this reality.

Cholesterol: Stop eating red meat and you will lower your cholesterol. What do you think? This is the word many of us have heard from medical experts and nutritional websites. Is it true? The following is a statement posted on RKM-Research and Knowledge Management funded by the Beef Checkoff.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) in January 2012 provides strong scientific evidence that eating lean beef every day as part of a heart-healthy diet improves cholesterol levels. This research shows that adding daily servings of lean beef to the low saturated fat, high fiber, heart-healthy diet typically recommended by health professionals (such as DASH, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) can lower heart disease risk by reducing levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol. Go to Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet (BOLD) to access the full study on the AJCN website. 

We all desire to maintain optimal health, and wouldn’t it be nice to truly know the causes for cholesterol, cancer, and high blood pressure? The Checkoff is working diligently to analyze the part beef plays in our lives when it comes to nutrition.

Check out other nutritional research projects funded by the Beef Checkoff at: http://www.beefresearch.org/humannutritionresearch.aspx

The research department of the Beef Checkoff, is actively exploring the uncharted of both human nutrition and the health of our beef cattle. The studies they publish are implemented as industry standards, and trust worthy enough to be held as fact in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. An efficient, reliable program, funded by cattle producers, applicable to everyone-Genius

Thanks and Gig’em

-Emily E. Jack