In March we introduced HeartBrand Beef to our Signature Dinner Menu.  I was introduced to Akaushi Beef earlier this year and was very impressed with the quality of the meat and the health benefits associated with this breed.

In 1994 due to a loophole in the Trade Act of 1992 between the United States and Japan, a small nucleus of Akaushi cows and bulls were brought to the United States in a specially equipped Boeing 747.

The HeartBrand Ranch, located in Harwood, Texas is home to some of the original 11 Akaushi cattle brought over from Japan in 1994. Akaushi is a breed of Wagyu cattle indigenous to Japan, where it is highly valued for the amazing health benefits and superior quality of its beef. The only free-grazing cattle in Japan, they are considered a national treasure and protected by the Japanese government.

Akaushi meat contains extremely high amounts of intramuscular fat or marbling with a fatty acid composition that is significantly lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in monounsaturated fat, and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). CLA is a very beneficial and essential fatty acid in human nutrition that has been the subject of intensive worldwide research over the last 10 years.

CLA, the acronym for Conjugated Linoleic Acid, is a collective term used to describe one or more positional and geometric isomers of Linoleic Acid, an essential fatty acid for human health. Studies in experimental models have shown CLA to slow the growth of a wide variety of tumors, including cancers of the skin, breast and prostate. Research has also found that CLA can help control insulin levels and reduce diabetes, as well as help to increase weight loss – especially in women’s trouble areas, lowered cholesterol, regulated bone loss and reduced risk of heart disease.

CLA occurs naturally in many foods such as beef, lamb, dairy products, poultry and eggs. Typically, an individual would need to consume high quantities of these natural products, or processed safflower supplements, to gain the desired health benefits from CLA.

Now, HeartBrand Beef offers a natural source of CLA that can easily produce desired health benefits with little effort on the part of the consumer. HeartBrand Beef’s naturally raised Akaushi cattle are one of the highest sources of natural CLA in beef.

Ronald Beeman, the Chairman of Heartbrand Beef, has made several visits to The Club and also attended our roll out dinner. His team also hosted several of us at their ranch in Harwood, Texas and took the time to show us their cattle operation.

We look forward to expanding our relationship with them and anticipate incorporating other products including ground beef onto our menus.  To learn more about HeartBrand Beef visit www.heartbrandbeef.com.

See you at The Club!