Beef tallow is back on menus, but is it really healthier than seed oils for frying?
Short answer: no. Beef tallow is high in saturated fat, which raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increases heart risk.
Whether they are fried in beef tallow or seed oil, fries are a treat. Don’t think about what they have been fried with, just enjoy them – as long as it’s only once in a while. Remember, the real key to health is eating a variety of food while limiting saturated fats.
Sources
- Inflammation and Seed Oils | ScienceUpFirst | September 18, 2025
- Extraction and Seed Oils | ScienceUpFirst | September 18, 2025
- Beef tallow not a healthier option than seed oils | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | March 2025
- Is Beef Tallow Good for You? Kennedy Thinks So, but Experts Disagree. | The New York Times | March 2025
- Fat, beef tallow – FoodData Central Food Details | U.S. Department of Agriculture | 2019
- Frying oils: selection, smoke points and potential deleterious effects for health | Food New Zealand on ResearchGate| 2015
- Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating | Acta Scientific Nutritional Health | 2018
- Cooking Oil Smoke Points: High, Low & Why It Matters | Verywell Fit | June 2024
- Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association | Circulation | 2017
- Beef Tallow: Miracle Oil or Wellness Fad? | University Hospitals | May 2025
- Is beef tallow really safe for your health and skin? We asked the experts | The Guardian | April 2025
- Dietary fats & Blood lipids | Heart UK
- Canadian Ban on Trans Fats Comes into Force Today | Government of Canada | 2018
- 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans | Dietary Guideline for Americans | January 2016
- Oil, olive, extra virgin | U.S. Department of Agriculture | 2019
- Oil, canola | U.S. Department of Agriculture | 2019
- Butter and Plant-Based Oils Intake and Mortality | JAMA Internal Medicine | March 2025
- Review on deep-fat fried foods: physical and chemical attributes, and consequences of high consumption | European Food Research & Technology | March 2024
- Limit highly processed foods – Canada’s Food Guide | Government of Canada
- Why Are Fried Foods Bad for You? | healthline | June 2023
- The Mediterranean diet and health: a comprehensive overview | Journal of Internal Medicine | August 2021
- Choose foods with healthy fats – Canada’s Food Guide | Government of Canada
- Fats and your health | Government of Canada
- Canada’s Food Guide | Government of Canada
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Is beef tallow really healthier than seed oils for fries? 🍟 Nope. It’s packed with saturated fat, which raises “bad” cholesterol and heart risk. Fries are a treat, enjoy them! But focus on balance: more fruits, veggies, grains, and lean proteins. 👇 scienceupfirst.com/nutrition/fr…
— ScienceUpFirst (@scienceupfirst.bsky.social) October 2, 2025 at 4:28 PM
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