5 Reasons Why Bison is Better than Beef
I enjoy grass-fed beef and have eaten it for many years. It’s an incredibly healthy option when compared to grain-fed and CAFO beef/pork/poultry. However, the alternative of bison is best!
1) bison are nutrient-dense
Every nutrient bioassay comparing bison to beef illustrates that bison is always more nutrient dense. Across almost every metric (there is occasionally a single micronutrient or so that may be more abundant in beef), bison is superior. Bison is more dense in protein than beef, has lower cholesterol, generally has higher levels of iron, B vitamins, and key metabolic supporters like copper, selenium, zinc, other minerals and micronutrients, and fat-soluble vitamins. It is an incredible food both on paper as well as in practice—I (and many others) find that bison is more energizing and satiating than beef and other animal-based proteins.
2) humans have a longer history of eating bison
Bison and humans have been interacting longer than cows and humans. Cattle are domesticated species of bovine, and are further removed from the species our ancestors were eating than bison are (the same way that dogs are removed from the wolf gene pool). In fact, many of our ancestors were eating the exact same species, Bison bison, that we use in our Liver & Organ Complex. Our ancestors were also likely consuming other bison species like Bison latifrons, B. priscus, B. antiquus, B. occidentalis, etc. Given that our ancestors were hunting and eating these animals when domesticated cattle did not even exist, our bodies, biomes, and genes have been interacting with those of various bison species over a much longer timespan. That would imply that we are more accustomed and conditioned to assimilating and interacting with the bodies and biomes of the bison. In short—it is intuitive that bison are a better option than beef, and one that is a high quality, easily digestible food to fuel human lives.
3) bison are happier
Bison are not farmed in concentrated feedlots, and cannot be confined to small spaces the way cattle are. Bison are simply too wild, stubborn, and undomesticated to make this kind of farming practical! Bison need to be on open-range, and they have been known to break down fences and other barriers to get to open range and grass if they feel confined. This means bison will express their bisonness no matter what! These animals will gleefully run across their prairies and grasslands—there are many videos on various bison ranching websites and social media pages. However, videos of entire herds of domestic cattle expressing their obvious joy and athleticism are not readily available. These are not wild animals, and likely are out of touch with their ancestral instincts. Cattle have been bred for docility, “feed economy” (the ability to gain more weight from less food), and convenience for humans. Bison are molded purely by evolution, and express the full gamut of emotion and behavior that their ancestors were thousands of years ago.
4) bison are native & indigenous
Bison have ranged across North America (as well as Eurasia and other areas) for tens of thousands of years. These animals have coevolved with the landscape, and are ultimately expressions of both Life and the landscape. They perfectly fit an ecological niche here in North America, both building and improving the grassland prairies and soil that in turn build herds of bison. Bison are at home on the landscape here in more than one sense, and historically Bison bison have ranged from central Canada down to northern Mexico and everywhere in between. If humans belong on the North American grasslands, so do bison. Domestic cattle cannot say the same, and even their ancestor (the Auroch) hails from Europe. Bison are a badass, native American ruminant ungulate.
5) bison are badass
This point speaks for itself, and I’m sure the reader would agree—bison are way more badass than beef! Most readers who have made it this far have likely heard of athletic feats performed by bison, or have seen footage of these majestic creatures. Aside from being visibly jacked like Arnold, bison have a number of impressive performance metrics. Bison, the largest north American mammal, can jump 6 vertical feet from a standing-still position, can sustain a 35mph run for 5 miles, and regularly endure some of the coldest winters in the United States—with no shelter (they are truly the original Wim Hof animals). Call me crazy, but I find that I feel better when I eat wild animals that fully express their badass wildeness—salmon that swim hundreds of miles upriver, bison that endure cold temperatures and run across open range, elk that run daily mountain marathons, etc. You are what you eat!
Key Takeaways
Bison are nutritionally superior across almost every dimension of analysis
Human-Bison interactions have been occurring for an incredibly long period of time
Bison require unique care that encourages a higher quality of life and ultimately a happier buffalo
Bison are a keystone species and integral part of North American ecology
If you want to eat a badass, athletic animal—bison are the one!