Today more people are making the choice to eat healthy. Healthy eating can encompass a number of things from eating more fresh vegetables and fruits to making a commitment to not eat animal products or anything in between. Along with healthy eating, another term has become very popular “free range.” Today you can find a number of free range products including eggs, meats and chicken. The latter of the three has become very popular lately. What exactly is free range? Are there benefits to eating free range? Where did free range start? Here you will find the answer to these questions so that you can make an informed decision on eating free range products.
The definition of the term free range differs depending on where you live. If you live outside of the United States, free range refers to animals being allowed to roam wherever they want without being caged up for any period of time. A free range chicken has access to the outdoors, the green grass, and the shining sun whenever he wants. Now if you live within the United States, free range has a different meaning. It refers only to poultry. Free range chicken, ducks, and turkeys have access to the outside. It does not specify the amount of time the animal can be outside or what the size of the outside is. So if a free range animal does not decide to move outside it stays in the often tiny, cramped cage.
Surprisingly, free range farming used to be the only way to farm. Looking back to before the 20th century, all most farmers knew about raising animals was that they needed a varied diet and plenty of sunshine. There were ranchers that found it difficult to keep cattle in one place and carry around heavy feed bags so ranchers would try to keep the cattle on their land. Chickens were free range up until 1920. The discovery of the vitamins A and D in 1920 brought an end to free range chickens. This is the time that farmers found out that they could market their chickens commercially if they were confined. Once the chickens were confined it was only a matter of time before all other farm animals were confined as well.
There is still a great debate going on as to whether eating free range products are better for us. There are those that believe eating free range meats and chickens offer a number of health benefits. For example, eating confined products increases our chances of getting a disease from the chicken or meat we are eating. Simply because free range chickens and cows have a lower likelihood of getting sick or contracting a disease than those that are kept in close proximity to one another all the time. Another example is the fact that free range animals consume a larger amount of vitamins that they get from the grass and the insects they consume. This would make the cow or chicken very good for us then. Confined animals do not have the access to these nutrient rich food sources. Confined or caged animals are only given enough food to keep them alive. In most cases this also includes continual doses of antibiotics to keep the animal disease free. We then consume that animal that is loaded with antibiotics, which is not good for us. Free range animals do not get these doses of antibiotics, they only get the things that are needed to help them thrive and stay healthy. The lack of antibiotics would be another reason to eat free range products.
It is important that you take the time to do the research to determine if eating free range products is best for you. Here you found relevant information on free range animals; you can also find pertinent information on just about every other health subject. Remember the more informed decision you make the more likely you are to stick with it.
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