The Good Fats of Wagyu
When people think of fat they tend to think “bad”.
They also tend to think of fat in beef in a particularly bad way: gristly, gnarled threads of rubbery gunk that inhibits the eating of beef.
Wagyu fat, like Wagyu beef, is different. Wagyu has the good fats. Go ahead, Google it. You will find it is common knowledge.
Wagyu beef has been likened to olive oil and salmon in terms of its health benefits. It has up to 300% more monounsaturated fat than normal beef due to the high marbling of the meat, as well as incredibly high omega 3 and omega 6 content.
Wagyu beef has the lowest cholesterol levels of all meats, even lower than fish or chicken, and it contains oleic acid which is considered good for your heart. It’s also believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties.
As an animal source of protein, Wagyu beef contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a complete source of protein.
Health experts have discovered the mono-unsaturated to saturated fat ratio is higher in Wagyu than in other beef and, the saturated fat contained in Wagyu is different.
Forty percent is in a version called stearic acid, which is regarded as having a minimal impact in raising cholesterol levels. The profile of marbled Wagyu beef is more beneficial and healthier to human health.
Wagyu is also higher in a type of fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Wagyu beef contain the highest amount of CLA per gram of any foodstuff – about 30% more than other beef breeds – due to higher linoleic acid levels. Foods that are naturally high in CLA have fewer negative health effects.
Please note that essential good fats of Wagyu are most fully realized when eating 100 percent full blood rare breed Wagyu. When Wagyu is crossbred with other breeds of cattle, then all bets are off when it comes to the health benefits of Wagyu as listed above.
