First, let's distinguish between organic meat and grass-fed meat. Organic means the animal was not given hormones, antibiotics or man-made pesticides in its feed. The feed, however, is not necessarily grass but corn and soy. Grass-fed meat is different in that the animal was pasture-raised. Not fed corn or soy. Note that grass-fed often is organic, but organic is not necessarily grass-fed.

When cattle are not fed their natural diet--grass, they become inherently less healthy. Corn and soy feed in factory farms cause an unhealthy ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats: around 20:1 which is unhealthy for the animal as well as for our consumption of their meat. This ratio deems it pro-inflammatory. As we know, inflammation is the precursor to many of our chronic diseases. The saturated fat of the animal is also higher.

Grass-fed cattle have a ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 of about 2:1. This is much healthier. Other benefits of grass-fed meat as compared to grain-fed meat: they contain two to four times more vitamins A and E, are higher in branch chain amino acids (critical for developing muscle) and the pH of the first stomach is lower, thereby minimizing risk of E. coli bacteria. Grass-fed meat also has less saturated fat and contains about a third fewer calories than commercial grain-fed meat.