Mar19
Grass Fed Beef Has 3x More of This Critical Nutrient (Shocking Results) with Dr. Stephen van Vliet
We love to argue about food like it’s simple—grass fed vs. grain-fed, animal vs. plant, protein powder vs. “real food.” But the truth is… we’re barely scratching the surface of what food actually contains.
In this episode of the ReThink Health Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Stephen Van Vliet (Utah State University), a researcher on the front lines of nutrient density, metabolomics, and regenerative agriculture. His lab is helping answer the questions most of us feel are important, but don’t have clear, evidence-based answers for yet:
- Does food quality actually change what happens in your body?
- Does the way an animal is raised matter… beyond marketing labels?
- And what does “nutrient-dense” even mean when a food can contain thousands of compounds we don’t track on a nutrition label?
You’ll hear why beef may contain tens of thousands of unique metabolites, how new metabolomics tools are changing what we can measure, and why “grass fed” isn’t always as straightforward as people think. Dr. van Vliet also shares fascinating early findings from long-term human trials, looking at what happens when people switch from conventional to pasture-raised animal foods, including changes in omega-3 levels in the blood.
It’s a nuanced, science-forward conversation that skips the dogma and gets to what really matters: making food choices that support real health over the long haul.
You’ll learn:
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Why nutrition labels only tell a tiny part of the story
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What “nutrient density profiling” really means (and how it’s measured)
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Why whole foods can act differently in the body than isolated protein powders
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The surprising reasons why some “grain-fed” samples can be more nutrient-dense than the least nutrient-dense “grass fed” samples
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What Dr. van Vliet’s research suggests about omega-3s in pasture-raised meat, eggs, and blood markers over time
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The emerging role of phytonutrients in animal foods (and why liver may be especially interesting)
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The most impactful “health upgrade” you can make today
If you’ve ever felt skeptical of nutrition debates that sound too black-and-white, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air and a glimpse into where food research is heading next.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube.
Prefer audio? Listen below or on Spotify & Apple iTunes Podcasts.
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About Dr. van Vliet
Dr. Stephen Van Vliet is the Director of the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University, where his team uses advanced metabolomics to study nutrient density in foods and how those differences show up in human biology. His lab works at the intersection of food quality, regenerative agriculture, and clinical nutrition trials, helping uncover how nutrients flow from soil and plants into animals and ultimately into people.
Thanks so much for spending time with us this week! Have a question or feedback? Email us at [email protected]—we would genuinely love to hear from you.
For more in depth conversations and practical guidance, be sure to subscribe to Dr. Autumn Smith’s YouTube channel, where new videos drop regularly to help you rethink health and nutrition in a clear, manageble way.
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