Texas Longhorns: The Beef Market

Texas Longhorns: The Beef Market - Heart Healthy Beef

By Michael Casey

Texas Longhorns are cattle, and, as such, they have value as beef animals. There are a number of very well researched studies which show that the carcasses of Texas Longhorn cattle compare favorably to those of other breeds with respect to most consumer driven trait characteristics and that, as a bonus, they have about 30% less overall fat. Of the fat in their carcasses, it is typically 10-15% lower in saturated fat than is the case in other breeds.

In order to understand this trait of Texas Longhorn cattle, it is important to understand that, physiologically, they differ markedly from other breeds. This is best described by Stewart H. Fowler, PhD, in his article The Texas Longhorn's Role in Crossbreeding and Synthetic Breed Development:

"The Texas Longhorn was fashioned by nature right here in North America. Stemming from ancestors that were the first cattle to set foot on American soil almost 500 years ago, it became the sound end product of 'survival of the fittest'....

There are studies, including one from the blood typing laboratory at the University of California, that suggest that the Texas Longhorn is quite different from other cattle of European origin in this country. In a study made in the 1960s of blood samples from Texas Longhorn cattle at the Wichita Wildlife Refuge, 22 of the 27 B phenogroups demonstrated in the Texas Longhorn had not been encountered in other breeds' blood typed at the laboratory. Thus, it appears that, among breeds of cattle commonly found in the United States, the Texas Longhorn is unique in its genetic composition.

Because of its long and pure inheritance, the desirable Nature-fixed traits of the Texas Longhorn are strongly transmitted, and the breed crosses effectively with most all breeds, contributing an extra measure of hybrid vigor from its purified, unique genes. By utilizing the Texas Longhorn's unique genetic potential in crossbreeding programs, several of the physical and economic problems confronting the rancher and feedlot operator can be solved or greatly eased.

In terms of a heart healthy diet, Longhorn beef compares with skinless chicken, turkey, and flounder (F.M. Byers, Nutrient Density of Beef from Longhorn Cattle, cited below). It is for that reason that several cardiologists, including the head of the Cardiology SWAT Team at the Mayo Clinic, are longtime consumers of Longhorn beef (John Brown, Long Road back from Legend, published in the March/April 1998 issue of "American Cowboy" Magazine). Dr. Joseph Graham, a cardiac surgeon at St. John's Medical Center in Joplin, MO. has been quoted as saying:

"Longhorn meat on the average, contains 10 percent less saturated fat than that of other cattle. That puts lean Longhorn on a par with skinned boneless white meat of chickens and that fact may come as a surprise to many dieticians."

One study, Nutrient Density of Beef from Longhorn Cattle, (authored by F.M. Byers and G.T. Schelling and published in 1987 by the Texas A&M University Department of Animal Science) conducted carcass evaluations of Herefords, Hereford/Longhorn crosses, and Longhorns and concluded that marbling was comparable in all three categories but that Longhorns had substantially less backfat. Furthermore, the yield grade in the Longhorn carcasses was superior to that of the Herefords. This was explained as being due to the fact that Longhorns have a different physiology inasmuch as they tend to store their reserve fat in disposable organs such as the heart, pancreas, kidneys and pelvis rather than in the edible muscle tissue which is where that fat is typically deposited in other breeds.

It was also found in that same Texas A&M study that Longhorns produce highly desirable fatty acids in their beef, which is to say that the muscle fat from Longhorns is less saturated. As stated by Dr. Fowler in another of his published articles, this fact is very important "since some studies have shown that increasing the amount of polyunsaturated fat (ie. linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid) in the diet sometimes promotes a modest drop in blood cholesterol and a reduction in the tendency of blood to clot." (Fowler, Beefing-up Consumer Demand with Texas Longhorn Genes).

Clifford Sheats, a nationally acclaimed and certified clinical nutritionist, has written widely about the health benefits of eating Texas Longhorn beef. In his book Lean Bodies Total Fitness, Sheats notes that red meat is a treasure trove of nutrients, including protein, iron, vitamin B-12 and more, and that the healthiest red meat is Texas Longhorn beef. He notes that a four ounce serving of Longhorn meat offers 25 grams of protein, but only six grams of fat, 160 calories, and 28 milligrams of cholesterol. He goes on to say:

"Americans are missing red meat in their diet. Red meat is very high in protein, but you need a really healthy, good form of beef for optimal health, and Longhorn beef is a very good source."

Sheats then explained that, with its low fat and easily assimilated protein, Longhorn beef is extremely useful in building up red blood cells and a healthy immune system. "It is definitely a heart healthy food", he says.

In his book, Sheets also points out that, although pioneers had a diet rich in red meat, they didn't seem to have much cardiovascular disease. The reason for this, in his opinion, is probably that the meat they ate was mostly wild game which tends to be very lean, just as longhorn meat is very lean.

To an industry searching for new products to compete with the better organized pork and poultry industries, it would seem that the story about Longhorn beef should, once effectively told, be one that would invigorate the consumer marketplace. It is a story which is slowly being told by a number of longhorn breeders who are just now starting in earnest to develop specialty Texas Longhorn beef products to bring to market. It is a story which is catching on with consumers wherever it is being told, and it is a story with an exciting future.

Fairlea Longhorn Ranch, P.O. Box 526, Nicasio, CA 94946
415-662-2541 (Ranch)
Fax number available upon request.
info@fairlealonghorns.com