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

On October 21, Kennedy visited Instagram say that “seed oils are a leading cause of the obesity epidemic.” Kennedy, an environmental lawyer whom Trump promised to let “run wild” on public health, explained that the rise in obesity in the United States correlates with fast food restaurants’ shift from beef tallow to oils of seeds in their fryers – especially McDonald’s, which he says is cooked. its beef tallow fries until the 1990s.

Kennedy is not the only one claiming on social media that using seed oils can be harmful to your health. Influencers like That Crunchy Mom Kate, who has more than 220,000 followers on TikTok, have also spoken out against seed oils.

“I think we should ban canola oil and vegetable oil,” she said in a statement. TikTok video from September. “These are not heart-healthy products, and if you just go on YouTube to find out how canola oil is made, you will literally vomit.” If she “had to choose” something to cook with, she told her followers, it would be ghee, beef tallow or avocado oil.

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

So what is the truth? Can you stick to seed oils without worry, or is it time to “make frying oil suet again,” as Kennedy suggests? Here’s a look at the nuanced reality.

Seed oils come 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 cooking at high temperatures,” Claire Edgemon, RDN, a senior dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine, said Health.

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

Although it appears seed oils have been “canceled” on social media, experts say demonizing them is an oversimplification. “Seed oils have advantages and disadvantages” Kristen White, RDN, a dietitian in private practice in Springfield, Missouri, said Health. “They are high in polyunsaturated fats and vitamin Ewhich are beneficial in moderation.

Actually, Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDNa registered dietitian and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Health Shotspoints to a 2024 study that found that consuming seed oils high in unsaturated fats was associated with many health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Seed oils are not perfect, however. “They are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which can promote inflammation if consumed in excess, and they can become unstable at high temperatures, forming harmful byproducts,” White said. She explained that when highly refined, seed oils can also lose nutrients and contain traces of trans fat– known to increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol.

Beef tallow, sometimes called “rendered” fat, is made by removing, heating and clarifying the fatty tissues surrounding the organs of cows. Tallow can also be made from the fat of other ruminants, such as deer, buffalo, or goats, although this is less common in the United States.

According to White, beef tallow has important nutritional and culinary benefits. “It is stable at high temperatures, which makes it suitable for frying or cooking at high temperatures,” 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 fats per 1 tablespoon serving,” Amidor said. For comparison, a tablespoon of canola oil contains only 1 gram of saturated fat.

Given that both seed oils and beef tallow have potential nutritional and high-heat cooking benefits, is one superior to the other?

“The choice of one over the other is nuanced and depends on a person’s lifestyle, behavior and environmental circumstances” Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, FANDclinical professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Georgia, said Health.

Beef tallow and seed oils like canola or soy have similar calorie counts, Laing said. “However, beef tallow contains more cholinevitamin D, cholesterol and saturated fat,” she said, “while seed oils contain more vitamin E, vitamin Kand unsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids).

These nutritional features may weigh differently depending on your health goals. “People who frequently cook at high temperatures or want to reduce their omega-6 intake might find tallow helpful, while those who need to limit saturated fats might be better off using seed oil or oils high in monounsaturated fats ” White said.

Amidor points out, however, that frying foods in beef tallow has notable disadvantages for cardiovascular health. “Frying foods is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” she said. “Adding saturated fat only compounds the harmful effects of regular use of beef tallow.”

Individually, the choice of cooking fat may depend on personal preferences or health goals. On a broader public health level, dietitians say the obesity epidemic cannot be blamed solely on seed oils. “There is no single cause that can be identified as driving the obesity epidemic,” Edgemon said. For example, increasing portion sizes have contributed to the obesity epidemic, she said.

White agreed. “The obesity epidemic is a complex problem influenced by a variety of factors, including increased consumption of processed foodshigher sugar consumption and a more sedentary lifestyle,” she said. “This broader diet could have a greater influence on obesity than any type of oil. »