Forty years ago, a self-made millionaire, heart attack survivor, and anti-cholesterol activist by the name of Phil Sokolof went after fast-food chains for their high-fat, deep-fried foods—particularly for their use of beef tallow as a cooking oil.
Eventually, McDonald’s and other chains switched to lower-fat oils. And though they credited research, rather than Sokolof’s campaign, the gadfly ran congratulatory ads anyway.
Fast-forward to today, when Sokolof, who died in 2004 at the age of 82, is likely rolling in his grave.
That’s because beef tallow is enjoying a comeback. It’s being encouraged not only by many beauty influencers, who advise rubbing the rendered fat into your skin, but by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who fried his Thanksgiving turkey in tallow, has touted its alleged health properties, and recently praised Steak ’n Shake burger chain for “RFKing the french fries” by switching back to the old-school oil.
Are there any truths to the health-based claims of those greasing the wheels for beef tallow’s revival? Below, what we know.
What is beef tallow and why are people for it?
Beef tallow is made from slowly simmering the fat surrounding cows’ organs. This separates the fat from liquid and connective tissue, allowing the solidified fat to then be collected.
Those who support its use typically do so because it is natural and because they believe it’s healthier than seed oils—canola, corn, sunflower, safflower, grape-seed, etc.—which Kennedy has blamed for a rise in obesity.
The American Heart Association, though, encourages the use of seed oils, noting, “The misleading charge is that seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids that break down into toxins when used for cooking, causing inflammation, weakening the immune system, and contributing to chronic illnesses.” But that’s not the case, says its quoted expert, Christopher Gardner, PhD, a professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and a nutrition scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.
While omega-3s (found in beef tallow) might be better for your health, he points out, omega-6s are not bad—and in fact constitute a polyunsaturated fat that the body needs but cannot produce by itself, and which helps the body reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol, thereby lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lisa Young, a nutritionist and an adjunct professor at NYU, told NBC News, “People are blaming the seed oils when that’s not what’s toxic. It’s the sugar and salt in the junk food that they’re using.”
Further, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and head of the Food Is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, told NPR that “concern around seed oils is really a distraction, and we need to be focusing on the real problems,” which are overdoses of refined grains, starches, sugars, salt and other preservatives, chemical additives, and contaminants from packaging.
“Seed oils are actually the bright spot,” he said. “Seed oils are healthy fats, healthy monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats that are really good for our bodies.”
What science says about beef tallow
Beef tallow is high in—about 50%—saturated fat, which raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which in turn raises the risk of heart disease. It’s why the American Heart Association advises against it, and why the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group of 17,000 doctors dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets, has issued a consumer warning about beef tallow.
Various studies have found that replacing saturated fat with plant sources of fat has benefits against heart disease. A review in the journal Circulation, for example, looked at 13 studies with 310,602 participants and found that replacing just 5% of calories from animal-sourced saturated fat with vegetable oil, seeds, and nuts—rich in linoleic acid, which is an omega-6 fatty acid—was associated with a 9% lower risk of heart disease and a 13% lower risk of death from heart disease.
A large cohort study published in JAMA Internal Medicine earlier this month found that substituting butter—another high-in-saturated-fat animal product—with plant-based oils, particularly olive, soybean, and canola oils, may help prevent premature death from heart disease and cancer.
The National Institutes of Health, in its guide of healthy cooking oils for parents, urges the use of canola, safflower, sesame, sunflower, corn, and olive oil over all animal-based oils, including chicken fat, lard, and beef tallow—with coconut oil and palm oil, both high in saturated fats, the only plant-based options appearing lower down on the list.
An older study specifically found beef tallow to be more cancer-causing than oil from corn or the perilla seed.
On the bright side, beef tallow does contain small amounts of omega-3s, according to Cleveland Clinic, as well as “fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K,” Abby Langer, a clinical nutritionist and registered dietitian, told USA Today, providing benefits including improved skin, eye, teeth, and bone health, plus boosted immune function. Still, there are other sources and, because of its connection to heart risk and stroke, she wouldn’t recommend tallow.
Beyond cooking, beef tallow has long been used to make soap and skin care products. But a recent large-scale review of current research around its pros and cons did not find much in the way of recommending it be slathered onto skin.
@growingwithkelsey Beef tallow is my one hit wonder! #musthaves #growingwithkelsey #beeftallow #tallow #tallowskincare #psoriasis ♬ original sound – Kelsey Pumel
While tallow was found to offer “hydrating and moisturizing properties,” researchers found, comparative studies found that options including pumpkin seed oil and linoleic acid offered superior moisturizing benefits. Regarding research indicating tallow could be beneficial with skin conditions including dermatitis, dry skin, and psoriasis, it was concluded that more research is needed—particularly since some papers reported that tallow caused severe skin or eye irritation.
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Finally, the review sought to determine whether or not beef tallow is healthy for the earth by looking into its reef-safety—something typically examined when rating sunscreens, and meaning that wearing it in oceans and having it wash off would not harm marine life.
Researchers concluded from the evidence that beef tallow is not reef-safe, writing, “This is important because some consumers prefer products that are environmentally friendly. Tallow is also an animal-derived product, and due to a rising trend through social media and increased awareness about how [personal care products] are made, many consumers now prefer products that are plant-based or considered vegan, which decreases the marketability of tallow as a skincare or cosmetic ingredient.”
They added, “Moreover, this could also indicate that tallow may have long-term effects on humans as well, which is something that needs more research.”
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