Robert F Kennedy Jr

Is Beef Tallow a Healthier Alternative to Seed Oils? What to Know Following RFK Jr.'s Claims took to Instagram to suggest that fast food restaurants in the United States should use beef tallow instead of seed oils for cooking. Here's what nutrition experts think

Robert F Kennedy Jr

• Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and social media influencers claim that using beef tallow is healthier than cooking with seed oils.
• Both beef tallow and seed oils have nutritional pros and cons.
• Experts say seed oils are not solely responsible for population-wide increases in obesity.

Is beef tallow a healthier cooking fat than seed oils? According to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the answer is a resounding yes.

On Oct. 21, Kennedy took to Instagram to say that “seed oils are one of the driving causes of the obesity epidemic.” Kennedy, an environmental lawyer whom Trump has promised to let “go wild” on public health, explained that the rise in American obesity correlates with fast food restaurants’ switch from beef tallow to seed oils in their fryers—particularly McDonald’s, which he says cooked its fries in beef tallow until the 1990s.

Kennedy isn’t the only one on social media to claim that the use of seed oils can be detrimental to health. Influencers like That Crunchy Mom Kate, who has over 220,000 followers on TikTok, have also railed against seed oils.

“I think we should be banning canola oil and vegetable oil,” she said in a TikTok video from September. “These are not heart-healthy, and if you just go YouTube how canola oil is made, you will literally throw up.” If she “had to pick” something to cook with, she tells her followers, it would be ghee, beef tallow, or avocado oil.

The American Heart Association, meanwhile, maintains that there’s “no reason” to avoid seed oils and encourages their consumption for their heart health benefits. 

So what’s the truth? Can you stick to seed oils without concern, or is it time to “Make Frying Oil Tallow Again,” as Kennedy suggests? Here’s a look at the nuanced reality.

What Are Seed Oils?

Seed oils derive from the seeds of plants rather than their fruits. Examples include canola, corn, sunflower, peanut, sesame seed, pumpkin seed, and chia seed oils. 

“These oils have a high smoke point, which is good for high-temperature cooking,” Claire Edgemon, RDN, a senior registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine, told Health. 

Seed oils are also generally cheaper than animal fats, another reason restaurants may choose them. 

Though it may appear that seed oils have been “canceled” on social media, experts say demonizing them is an oversimplification. “Seed oils offer pros and cons,” Kristen White, RDN, a private practice dietitian in Springfield, Missouri, told Health. “They’re rich in polyunsaturated fats and vitamin E, which are beneficial in moderation.”

In fact, Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Health Shots, points to a 2024 study that found that consuming seed oils high in unsaturated fat was associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Seed oils aren’t perfect, however. “They’re high in omega-6 fats, which may promote inflammation if consumed in excess, and they can become unstable at high heat, forming harmful byproducts,” White said. She explained that when highly refined, seed oils may also lose nutrients and contain traces of trans fats—known for increasing bad cholesterol and decreasing good cholesterol.

What Is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow, sometimes called “rendered” fat, is made by removing, heating, and clarifying the fatty tissue surrounding cows’ organs. Tallow can also be made from the fat of other ruminant animals, such as deer, buffalo, or goats, though this is less common in the U.S.

According to White, beef tallow has some significant nutritional and culinary benefits. “It’s stable at high temperatures, making it suitable for frying or high-heat cooking,” she said. She added that it also contains beneficial fats like conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 (when grass-fed), as well as vitamins K2 and E.

However, it is high in saturated fat. “Beef tallow provides 6 grams of artery-clogging saturated fat per 1-tablespoon serving,” said Amidor. By comparison, one tablespoon of canola oil contains just 1 gram of saturated fat.

How Do Seed Oils and Beef Tallow Compare for Nutrition and Health?

Because seed oils and beef tallow have potential benefits for nutrition and high-heat cooking, is one superior to the other?

“Choosing one over the other is nuanced and is dependent on a person’s lifestyle, behavior, and environmental circumstances,” Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, FAND, a clinical professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Georgia, told Health. 

Beef tallow and seed oils like canola or soybean have similar calorie counts, Laing said. “However, beef tallow has more choline, vitamin D, cholesterol, and saturated fat,” she said, “whereas seed oils have more vitamin E, vitamin K, and unsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids).” 

These nutritional features may carry different weight depending on your health goals. “People who frequently cook at high temperatures or want to reduce omega-6 intake might find tallow useful, while those needing to limit saturated fats may do better with seed oil use or oils rich in monounsaturated fats,” White said.

Amidor emphasizes, however, that frying food in beef tallow has notable drawbacks for cardiovascular health. “Frying food is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” she said. “Adding more saturated fat just compounds the ill effects of using beef tallow on a regular basis.”

Are Seed Oils to Blame for the Obesity Epidemic?

Individually, choosing a cooking fat may depend on personal preferences or health goals. On a broader public health level, dietitians say the obesity epidemic can’t be pinned onto seed oils alone. “There is no one cause that can be identified as driving the obesity epidemic,” Edgemon said. For example, increased serving sizes have contributed to the obesity epidemic, she said.

White agreed. “The obesity epidemic is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including increased consumption of processed foods, higher sugar intake, and more sedentary lifestyles,” she said. “This broader dietary pattern may have a larger influence on obesity than any single type of oil.”

This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Sarah Garone