Why Wagyu

Why is Wagyu special?  

The Wagyu breed is the true native breed of Japan.  The herd has had
the  books closed since 1910 and documentation surrounding the breed
is second to none.  There are several  well-established lines within the
breed displaying different characteristics or attributes.  The relationship
between  these lines is critical in building a herd that gives the
producer the biggest chance for success.

Wagyu is different in the maturing process.  During the feeding and
through the finishing process the Wagyu steer does not put on fat in the
same manner as do English or Continental breeds.  Wagyu put on fat
intramuscularly and not “over the rib” as do more conventional animals.  
Think about this: If we sell on the grid we are paid on yield grade and
quality grade we don’t want to have an animal with a lot of external fat,
or a “wastety” grade 5. Even worse we don’t want an animal with no
intramuscular marbling.  The Wagyu puts on its  fat where it counts,
in the muscle.   A Wagyu seldom is graded higher than a yield grade
three and when fed along traditional Wagyu guidelines
will often finish  with a quality grade of prime.


Wagyu and Good Health

And that’s only part of the answer to “Why Wagyu”.  Wagyu beef
contains a higher percentage of MUFA than any other breed.  
What is MUFA?  MUFA simply means Mono Unsaturated Fatty
Acids, which has been demonstrated to lower LDL (the bad
cholesterol) levels and increase HDL (the good cholesterol).    

Why Wagyu Wins

A healthy diet is high in MUFA and low in SFA, the better to
moderately increase HDL and decrease LDL According to
Tim Crowe, PhD., half of all marbling in a Wagyu carcass is  
comprised of good MUFA, and even the bad SFA in Wagyu is
different, healthier: a big part of the SFA content is in a form
called stearic acid, which had a minimal impact on cholesterol
levels as compared with other forms of saturated fat.
In this way the ratio of MUFA to SFA is three times
higher in Wagyu than in any other beef.

More on Wagyu Beef and Good Health

Research indicates that mono-unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) are either lower
or neutral to total cholesterol levels, while increasing High Density
Lipoprotein levels (HDL - good cholesterol).

Information from the Mayo clinic points out MUFA represents a healthy fat

Tim Crowe, PhD senior lecturer of nutrition of the School of Excercise and Nutrition
Sciences at Deakin University, Australia, explains the Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acid
to Saturated Fatty Acid ratio runs up to three time higher in Wagyu beef than
other beef.  Crowe says half of all marbling in a wagyu carcass is
comprised of mono-unsaturated fats.

Says Crowe " So really, the profile of marbled Wagyu beef is very beneficial
to human health.  It can be described as a healthier type of meat.

According to Steve Smith Ph.D, a professor of animal science at Texas A&M
University, it's the oleic acid-the primary component of MUFA-in beef
that lowers LDL cholesterol levels.  Icing on the cake comes from the fact
that the more oleic acid there is in beef, the more palatable it is.  
That's the reason Wagyu beef is noted for its tender and savory palatability.

According to researcher at Washington State university, in animal studies,
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) has prevented numerous kinds of
cancers.  Also in animal studies it has reduced LDL cholesterol levels and
triglycerides.  Though CLA has yet to show strong human health benefits,
the promise continues to excite researchers.

Everything we've done so far tells us that Wagyu beef is better for you
than the typical beef you can buy in the supermarket adds Smith "We have
not yet  ad any negative effects of Wagyu beef on lasma cholesterol,
LDL, particle diameters, blood glucose, triglycerides, or body weight."