Ah, it wasn’t me! The goat did it!

Anyone who has read my most recent book, “The Detox Strategy” or has ever seen Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” realizes the devastating effect that greenhouse gas emissions is having on our planet.  But who knew… it’s been the cow’s fault!

Seriously though, methane produced from the flatulence of livestock including cattle, sheep and goats accounts for more than one third of all the methane emissions.  Methane is apparently 20 times more powerful at trapping the solar energy than carbon dioxide, making it one of the most potent greenhouse gasses we humans deal with.

A new study released last week by the Society of General Microbiology showed that adding 2% fish oil into the feed of cattle achieved a reduction in the amount of methane released by the animals.  It seems according to Dr. Lorraine Lillis, one of the researchers, that “The fish oil affects the methane-producing bacteria in the rumen part of the cow’s gut, leading to reduced emissions.”

For those of you not understanding what emissions she’s speaking of – she means cow farts.

Wow, if adding a little bit of fish oil to the feed of cattle can help save our planet, that’s a thumbs up in my book.  Going a bit further, if fish oil can do this for cattle, imagine what it can do for your gassy significant other.

We need to add this to the list of all the wonderful health benefits of Omega 3 oils.