It may sound controversial to consider the benefits of beef tallow; however, animal fats such as lard or tallow were commonly used in cooking up until the 1970’s, when seed-based cooking oils took over the market and saturated fat (a large component in animal fat) was deemed unhealthy. This stemmed from the studies of Ancel Keys in 1952, which correlated saturated fats and heart disease; thus, perpetuating the rise of low-fat trends and use of trans-fats, both of which were found later on to be detrimental to long-term health.

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is made from rendered down beef fat. Although commonly made using only beef suets, some recipes may also incorporate marrow or consider the fat after making bone broth as tallow as well. We use beef caul and suet to make our tallow at Provenir. While beef suet is the hard fat surrounding the animal’s kidneys, caul fat is the lace or netting that surrounds the internal organs of animals.

Tallow Adds Flavour

Just like most fat, beef tallow adds a richness to food and is able to enhance flavors. The role fats play in making food more appetising may be a sign that our bodies are able to detect and sense nutrients. Fatty acids have been identified as an alimentary taste, meaning although it may not be perceived as a distinct flavor (such as the basic tastes), it is linked with post-ingestive properties and is able to induce satiety directly via taste perception. (1–3)

Tallow is a Great Source of Beneficial Fatty Acids and Vitamins

The nutritional benefits of beef suets are shown below. Unfortunately, information on beef caul is not available due to little research done in this area; however, the article will be updated once the information becomes available.

Beef suets (and tallow) contain no carbohydrate nor protein; therefore, they are a concentrated source of fat (mostly saturated and monounsaturated) and energy. Per one-hundred grams, it is: 52% saturated fat, 31.5% monounsaturated fat, and 3.2% polyunsaturated fat, as stated by the USDA; however, depending on the diet of the animal, this may change (grass-fed vs grain/ corn-fed).

Nutritional Information for Beef Suet

Calorie/ Macronutrient	Per Tablespoon (12.8g)	Per 100g
Energy (kcal)	109	854
Carbohydrate (g)	–	–
Fat (g)	12	94
–       Saturated (g)	6.7	52
–       Monounsaturated (g)	4.0	31.5
–       Polyunsaturated (g)	0.4	3.2
Protein	–	–

Nutrition facts for Beef, raw, suet, variety meats and by-products, recommended daily values and analysis. Daily values are based on 2000 calorie diet and 155 lbs (70 kg) body weight. Actual daily nutrient requirements might be different based on your age, gender, level of physical activity, medical history and other factors. Nutritional value of a cooked product is provided for the given weight of cooked food. Data from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. (4)

Taking a closer look at the fatty acid breakdown of beef suets, it contains a mix of a variety of fatty acids that have been found to be beneficial for maintaining overall health. Key fatty acids found in beef suets and tallow are described below.

1. Palmitic acid is one of the most abundant saturated fatty acids in the body. New-born babies are born with a body-fat make up of 45-50% palmitic acid. In adults, palmitic acid is crucial for secretory, transport and membrane components of the cell make-up, including signalling neurons and nerve cells. (5)
2. Stearic acid is a longer chain saturated fat most commonly found in animal foods (also found in cocoa and shea butter). Research shows that it acts as a dietary metabolite that is sensed by our bodies to regulate mitochondria and fatty acid utilization in humans. The mitochondria is commonly described as the “powerhouse” of the body, since it generates ATP (adenine triphosphate) or energy. Studies conducted on the effects of stearic acid showed that it enhances mitochondrial fusion. When this occurs, more oxygen is able to access the mitochondria; thus, creating more ATP. At the same time, this also increases fatty acid utilisation; therefore, giving it it’s “fat-burning” title.
3. Although omega 9’s are not considered essential since the body is able to produce it, oleic acid has beneficial effects on fat distribution and overall body composition. Oleoylethanolamide, or OEA for short, is a lipid mediator derived from oleic acid through various enzymatic processes. A systematic review of 30 studies found it activates a pathway called the PPAR-alpha pathway. This pathway increases the bodys ability to uptake fatty acid while inducing appetite suppressing effects on the body. Meaning, the fat stores in our bodies gets used while our hunger levels don’t go through the roof! Although research is still in its early stages in regard to exploring this molecule; various studies have found it to be a promising therapeutic agent for weight and obesity management. (6)
4. Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are polyunsaturated trans fatty acids found in ruminant animals such as cattle. Although classified as a type of trans fat, linoleic acid (omega 6) is considered an essential fatty acid since the body is unable to produce it on its own. Studies have shown that CLA’s have beneficial effects on health and disease prevention such as increasing immune function and weight loss while reducing atherosclerosis development and overall blood glucose levels. (7,8)

 Beef Suet Fatty Acid Breakdown

Type of Fatty Acids	Per Tablespoon (12.8g)	Per 100g
Palmitic Acid (g)	2.9	22.6
Stearic Acid (g)	3.2	24.7
Oleic Acid (Monounsaturated Omega-9) (g)	3.7	28.9
Linoleic Acid (Polyunsaturated Omega-6) (g)	0.3	2.2

Nutrition facts for Beef, raw, suet, variety meats and by-products, recommended daily values and analysis. Daily values are based on 2000 calorie diet and 155 lbs (70 kg) body weight. Actual daily nutrient requirements might be different based on your age, gender, level of physical activity, medical history and other factors. Nutritional value of a cooked product is provided for the given weight of cooked food. Data from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. (4)

Tallow can Assist with Weight Management

As previously described, CLA’s, OEA and stearic acid found in fats in beef can assist with weight management and maintaining a healthy body weight through their interactions with bodily mechanisms while inducing satiety.

Tallow is Heat Stable

Tallow has a naturally high smoking point (250°C), which is great for cooking without it turning rancid. This is due to the high amounts of saturated fats that tallow is comprised of. Compared to vegetable oils, tallow has high oxidative and heat stability with less oxidative end-products that has been associated with the risk of cancer and inflammation. A study comparing beef tallow and sunflower oil found only after 40 hours of heating at 180°C did the tallow samples contain more than 25% oxidation products. Comparatively, it took only 6-hours for sunflower oil to reach oxidation. (9)

Tallow is Sustainable

Nose-to-tail cooking describes the use of the whole animal. Since fat is usually thrown out to enhance the cooking and accessibility of muscle meats, rendering the extra by-products would mean less wastage overall. Similarly, rendering tallow from grass-fed beef can be carbon negative. Life cycle assessment reviews of vegetables oils found large impacts on the environment during all stages of vegetable oil processing.  From the pesticides used during the agriculture stage to the amount of energy required to extract, refine and transport the products, these processes use more steps than tallow rendering and causes detrimental effects to the soil and air. (10)

Beef tallow has significant health and cooking benefits. The amount of nutrients in tallow products have been found to increase overall health while the process of making tallow can be less impactful on the environment too. Despite the negative connotations when it comes to the consumption of saturated fats, it was only recently (in the context of our evolutionary history) that seed-based oils have taken over the market after generations of cooking with animal fats. This increase in the overconsumption of processed foods also correlates with the rising trend of obesity and chronic diseases that we see in society today.

About the Author – Jaime Ooi

I am a graduated nutritionist (Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Science, Honours) who is interested in all things to do with how to live a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. 

Although fats were given a bad rep in the past, research has revealed the impact fat has on increasing satiety hormones within the body through various mechanisms. This sparked my curiosity, so during my Honours year, I assessed the heritability and influence of fats on satiety. 

Similarly, my interest also lies in the impacts of regenerative farming  and nose-to-tail cooking. I’ve had experience curating menu’s in the past, so working with food is something I’ve always loved doing since I was 15. Similar to many people, I’ve dabbled with various ways of eating to find what works for me. It wasn’t until I started increasing my intake of red meat and incorporating liver into my diet that I started feeling stronger, more energized, and alert. 

Food and nutrition plays an important role in how we feel, so it makes sense that more research is assessing the impacts of eating in a way that is congruent with how we ate during most of human evolutionary history, and I find this very exciting. 

References

1. Costanzo A, Russell CG, Lewin S, Keast R. A Fatty Acid Mouth Rinse Decreases Self-Reported Hunger and Increases Self-Reported Fullness in Healthy Australian Adults: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial. Nutrients [Internet]. 2020 Mar 2 [cited 2020 Mar 9];12(3):678. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/3/678
2. Stewart JE, Feinle-Bisset C, Golding M, Delahunty C, Clifton PM, Keast RSJ. Oral sensitivity to fatty acids, food consumption and BMI in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2010 Jul;104(1):145–52.
3. Mattes RD. Is There a Fatty Acid Taste? Annu Rev Nutr [Internet]. 2009 Aug 22 [cited 2020 Feb 29];29(1):305–27. Available from: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-nutr-080508-141108
4. USDA. Nutr Food Sci [Internet]. 2012; Available from: https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Beef%2C_raw%2C_suet%2C_variety_meats_and_by-products_nutritional_value.html
5. Innis SM. Palmitic Acid in Early Human Development. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr [Internet]. 2016 Sep 9 [cited 2020 Nov 24];56(12):1952–9. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2015.1018045
6. Tutunchi H, Saghafi‐Asl M, Ostadrahimi A. A systematic review of the effects of oleoylethanolamide, a high‐affinity endogenous ligand of PPAR‐α, on the management and prevention of obesity. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol [Internet]. 2020 Apr [cited 2020 Nov 25];47(4):543–52. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1440-1681.13238
7. Fuke G, Laerte Nornberg J, Laerte Nornberg J. Systematic evaluation on the effectiveness of conjugated linoleic acid in human health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2020 Nov 25];57(1):1–7. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=bfsn20
8. Whigham LD, Watras AC, Schoeller DA. Efficacy of conjugated linoleic acid for reducing fat mass: A meta-analysis in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 May 1;85(5):1203–11.
9. Karakaya S, Ebnem S¸, Ims¸ekims¸ek S¸. Changes in Total Polar Compounds, Peroxide Value, Total Phenols and Antioxidant Activity of Various Oils Used in Deep Fat Frying.
10. Dumelin EE. The Environmental Impact of Palm Oil and Other Vegetable Oils **.