Importance of ruminant nutrition for the health-related assessment of red meat

Studies have shown that the consumption of red meat from ruminants such as cattle and sheep can have negative health effects in the form of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Among other things, the high fat content with a high proportion of saturated fatty acids and the pro-oxidative heme iron are held responsible for this.

The research project deals with the previously uninvestigated question of whether the feed composition of ruminants has an influence on the health-related properties of red meat. One hypothesis is that grassland-based feeding leads to a higher proportion of health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant substances in the meat compared to feeding with maize silage and concentrates. This is to be researched and verified in studies with mice. If the results are positive, this preliminary work will form the basis for a DFG proposal with studies on humans.