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Flatulent cows on Omega 3 diet produce less gas
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It's not really her fault.
Photo from United States Department of Agriculture
Researchers from the University College in Dublin Ireland report that cows feeding on a diet including 2% fish oil released less methane.
Methane gas ranks second behind carbon dioxide in lists of green house gases. Methane breaks down into carbon dioxide, ozone, and water, which absorb heat in the atmosphere. Other studies have shown that methane is even more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping the sun’s rays and contributing to global warming.
According to a study by Donald Johnson at Colorado State University, “Each cow emits 200 to 400 quarts of methane gas per day, or 50 million metric tons per year.” To be accurate, the methane is released by cows is primarily through eructation (burps) rather than flatulence.
And it’s not really the cow’s fault. The methane is produced when ruminants (cud-chewers such as cows, sheep, and goats) eat hay and grass. Cows, like humans can’t digest the fibers (think the stringy parts of a celery stick). Within their guts special bacteria digest cellulose into sugars that the cow can use. In biology this is considered a symbiotic relationship: the bacteria have a safe place to live and the cow receives a food reward.
From a human perspective, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times a week to gain the benefits of the fish oils in the meat. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to decrease the rate of atherosclerotic plaque formation, decrease triglyceride levels, higher HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and slightly lower blood pressure in healthy individuals or patients with cardiac disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids have additional health benefits. According to a paper published in April, including Omega 3 in a healthy diet may decrease the risk of advanced prostate cancer. "We detected strong protective associations between increasing intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and more advanced prostate cancer," said John S. Witte, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Other studies have claimed that diets with Omega 3 fatty acids improve brain development and memory.
The United States Food and Drug Administration recommend discussing the use of any dietary supplements with a doctor.
Why does it matter?
There are many different ways being examined to reduce the release of greenhouse gases. One proposal to reduce agricultural methane emissions is to place a cap on the number of animals being used. While presenting the work at the Society for General Microbiology meeting, Dr Lorraine Lillis, one of the researchers of the current study said, “Understanding which microbial species are particularly influenced by changes in diet and relating them to methane production could bring about a more targeted approach to reducing methane emissions in animals."
Adapted from materials provided by EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
You can email me at phillyscienceguy@gmail.com or visit my website Science in my life .
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