The argument regarding hormone free beef continues. Artificial hormones, given to cattle to stimulate growth and milk production, are thought by some researchers to lead to some pretty scary occurrences – namely, early physical development in human females, breast cancer, and worse-than-normal pre-menopausal symptoms, to name a few.

Although no empirical data exists to prove the malevolence of artificial hormones, some countries, such as Germany, have outlawed them and allow only hormone free beef to be imported.

Stanford University students now eat antibiotic and hormone free beef, thanks to their residential dining services manager – and after overwhelming requests by the student body. Does this mean they eat healthier or just more expensively? According to many hormone free beef advocates, despite the lack of hard evidence that “junked-up” beef is harmful, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

So where does one get hormone free beef, anyway, without traveling to Germany or the campus of Stanford University? One place to look for it would be a health food store that sells meat or one of the organic grocery chains, such as Whole Foods Market. Another option, of course, is the Internet. Here are a couple of places found with a “hormone free beef” search on Google:

The Ultimate Food Club, at www.UltimateFoodClub.com, offers not only antibiotic and hormone free beef, but beef lower in cholesterol and fat. This site touts its hormone free beef as Piedmontese –from a variety of cattle originating from Italy. Inspected not only by the United States Department of Agriculture, this hormone free beef also must past muster with the Leachman Certified Piedmontese Beef Program.

Lobel’s (www.Lobels.com), another online seller, markets its hormone free beef as “Heritage” meat – meaning it comes from grass-fed, pure- and cross-bred cattle varieties that are on rare and endangered lists. All Heritage beef is raised on small sustainable family farms throughout the state of New York and the New England area.

Many online purveyors offer hormone free beef, and the previous are only two meat sellers from across the U.S. But one thing to keep in mind: Hormone free beef does not come cheap. Lobel’s for instance, sells whole, hormone free beef tenderloins (3-5 lbs.) for $58.98 – per pound!

But if you can afford it, hormone free beef is available. All it takes is money, a meat seller, and a mere click of the mouse.