Nutrition Diva Is beef tallow a healthy fat?
Oct 15, 2025
Fast-food chains are flipping the script by frying fries in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil. Is this a healthier switch or just a trendy marketing move? The discussion dives into the nuances of saturated versus unsaturated fats, highlighting the heart-healthy benefits of tallow's oleic acid, similar to olive oil. While tallow’s stability in high heat is a plus, the overall healthiness of fries remains questionable. Monica emphasizes that frequency and dietary patterns, rather than just frying fats, play a crucial role in health.
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Tallow Raises Saturated Fat Intake
- Beef tallow is much higher in saturated fat than common vegetable oils used for frying.
- Eating more saturated fat generally raises LDL cholesterol, which is linked to cardiovascular risk.
Different Saturated Fats Behave Differently
- Not all saturated fats act the same metabolically.
- Tallow's saturated fat mix (palmitic and stearic acid) may affect cholesterol differently than butter or palm oil.
Tallow Contains Heart-Healthy Oleic Acid
- About half of beef tallow's fat is monounsaturated oleic acid, the same type found in olive oil.
- Monounsaturated fats are linked with improved cholesterol profiles and reduced inflammation.