Why Is Beef Tallow Healthy? Surprising Benefits You Need to Know

Beef tallow is making a comeback.

Once a staple in kitchens and skincare, it was pushed aside for seed oils and chemical creams.

But today, people are asking: why is beef tallow healthy, and why did we stop using it in the first place?

This article unpacks the truth behind this old-world fat, revealing why it's not only safe but incredibly nourishing.

Let’s explore how beef tallow fits into a holistic, natural lifestyle that reconnects you with real food and radiant health.

Why Is Beef Tallow Healthy? A Forgotten Superfat Returns

Rendered beef fat, or beef tallow, is frequently made from the suet surrounding cattle's kidneys and loins.

It has been used for centuries in cooking, skincare, and even candle-making.

Tallow was a prized part of the animal in traditional cultures, celebrated for its energy-rich, nourishing qualities.

Its fall from grace happened during the industrial era when seed oils like canola and soybean became cheap and heavily marketed as “heart-healthy.”

This shift wasn’t based on robust science—it was a product of food industry influence.

Beef tallow aligns perfectly with Wild Foods’ philosophy: real, unprocessed, and rooted in ancestral wisdom.

Unlike modern oils that rely on solvents, heat, and bleaching, beef tallow is simply melted fat—nothing more.

That simplicity is part of what makes it powerful.

Nutritional Profile of Beef Tallow

So, why is beef tallow healthy from a nutritional standpoint?

It’s packed with the kind of fats your body actually knows how to use.

Tallow contains about 50% saturated fat and 42% monounsaturated fat.

These fats are stable at high heat and don’t oxidize the way polyunsaturated fats do.

Tallow is rich in fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K2—key players in hormone health, immunity, and cellular function.

It also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a unique fat linked to anti-inflammatory benefits.

CLA may help reduce body fat and support metabolism, although more research is needed (1).

Most importantly, tallow is a whole food fat.

That means it comes with the cofactors and nutrients your body expects, unlike isolated or hydrogenated fats.

Compared to Seed Oils: What Makes Tallow Stand Out?

Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats are abundant in seed oils, such as corn and soybean oil.

These fats oxidize easily during cooking, forming inflammatory compounds like aldehydes (2).

Most are chemically extracted using hexane, a solvent also used in industrial cleaning.

Beef tallow, on the other hand, is heat-stable and requires no chemicals to extract.

This makes it perfect for cooking at high temperatures, such as roasting and frying.

It supports mitochondrial health by providing clean, efficient fuel.

Plus, it doesn’t feed chronic inflammation the way seed oils can.

If you’re reWilding your diet, this is the kind of shift that creates long-term change.

Skin-Deep Health: Why Beef Tallow Is Great for Your Skin

Our ancestors didn’t need a thousand different creams.

They used tallow.

Why? Because beef tallow is incredibly compatible with human skin.

It mimics sebum, your skin’s natural oil.

That means it penetrates deeply without clogging pores.

It delivers fat-soluble vitamins directly into the skin, helping support moisture, elasticity, and healing.

Tallow is also rich in stearic acid and palmitic acid—fats that support skin barrier function and calm inflammation.

Many people with eczema, psoriasis, or sensitive skin report major relief using tallow balm.

You won’t find that kind of nourishment in a synthetic lotion full of parabens and artificial fragrances.

Is Beef Tallow Good for Weight Loss and Metabolism?

Yes, and here’s why. Fat doesn’t make you fat—processed carbs and sugars do.

Beef tallow is naturally satiating. It helps you feel full longer, which reduces the urge to snack and overeat.

It also supports thermogenesis—the process where your body generates heat and burns calories (3).

Because tallow doesn’t spike insulin, it keeps your blood sugar stable.

That’s essential for those on keto, carnivore, or low-carb diets.

When you fuel your body with quality fats like tallow, you teach it to burn fat for energy, not sugar.

And that’s a powerful metabolic shift.

The Cholesterol Question: Tallow vs Modern Myths

One of the biggest myths is that saturated fat causes heart disease.

This idea comes from flawed studies in the mid-20th century, and it has been debunked in more recent research.

Your body needs cholesterol to produce hormones, repair cells, and support your brain.

Saturated fat, like the kind in beef tallow, raises HDL (“good”) cholesterol and improves your LDL particle profile (4).

What matters is inflammation, not cholesterol alone.

And guess what causes inflammation?

Processed seed oils, sugar, and ultra-processed foods.

Beef tallow does none of that.

It’s time to stop fearing the fats that kept our ancestors strong.

Is Beef Tallow Healthier Than Butter or Olive Oil?

Butter, olive oil, and beef tallow all have their place.

But tallow shines in high-heat cooking, where olive oil breaks down.

Unlike butter, it contains no casein or lactose—great for dairy-sensitive folks.

Tallow is shelf-stable, affordable, and sustainable when sourced from grass-fed animals.

It’s also more neutral in flavor than you’d expect.

Use it to roast vegetables, fry eggs, sear steak, or even bake crusty breads.

For skincare, it’s far superior to plant oils or mineral oil.

Each fat has its strength, but if you're looking for versatility, stability, and nutrient density, tallow wins.

How to Use Beef Tallow in Your Everyday Life

Here are simple ways to start using beef tallow:

• Cook with it: Fry, roast, sauté—it handles heat like a champ
• Make skin balm: Melt it with essential oils like lavender or tea tree.
• Use as lip balm or on cracked heels.
• Mix into ground meat for juicier burgers.
• Add a spoonful to bone broth for added richness.

Make sure to choose grass-fed, pasture-raised tallow for maximum benefits.

The quality of the animal matters.

At Wild Foods, we source from small farms committed to ethical, regenerative practices.

That means no hormones, no antibiotics—just real nourishment.

Wild Foods Grass-Fed Tallow: The Clean Choice

Our tallow is made from 100% grass-fed beef suet, slow-rendered to preserve nutrients.

No additives. No shortcuts.

Use it in your kitchen or on your skin with confidence.

Let your fat work for you, not against you.

Final Thoughts

Imagine your body as a campfire.

Processed oils are wet paper—they sputter, smoke, and burn out.

Beef tallow? That’s clean, dry wood. It burns hot, steady, and fuels the system naturally.

We’ve been lied to about fat for decades. But now you know the truth.

Beef tallow is not just safe—it’s powerful. It feeds your brain, fuels your body, and supports your skin from the inside out.

So the next time someone asks, “Why is beef tallow healthy?”—you’ll know what to say.

Try Wild Foods’ grass-fed tallow today and experience the difference. Your body (and skin) will thank you.

🧬 Ancestral Nutrition in a Capsule!
Tap into ancient wellness wisdom with daily tallow support for skin, joints, and vitality. 🧬

FAQs about Beef Tallow

Is beef tallow really healthy?

Yes. Beef tallow is rich in stable fats and fat-soluble vitamins and has no chemical processing. It supports metabolic, skin, and heart health when sourced well.

Why was beef tallow banned, and is it safe now?

It wasn’t banned—just phased out due to anti-fat campaigns and industry marketing of seed oils. It’s now widely recognized as safe and even beneficial.

Is beef tallow healthier than butter or vegetable oil?

Beef tallow is more heat-stable than butter and far healthier than vegetable oils, which often contain inflammatory omega-6s and chemical residues.

Is it possible for beef tallow to cause acne or block pores?

No. Tallow mimics human sebum and is non-comedogenic when properly rendered. It can actually soothe acne-prone skin due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

How does beef tallow support cholesterol and heart health?

It raises HDL, improves LDL particle size, and reduces inflammation—all key markers for cardiovascular well-being.

Related Studies

1. Title: The effect of conjugated linoleic acids on inflammation, oxidative stress, body composition, and physical performance: a comprehensive review of clinical trials

This review of clinical trials shows that certain CLA isomers, especially c9, t11, have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce oxidative stress, although results are mixed and further research is needed.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10466845/

2. Title: Toxic aldehyde generation in and food uptake from culinary oils during frying

Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich seed oils generate significantly higher levels of toxic aldehydes during high-temperature frying compared to oils with lower PUFA content, suggesting health risks associated with repeated use of seed oils for cooking.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6412032/

3. Title: Effect of high-fat diets on energy balance and thermogenesis in lean and obese mice

In mice, diets rich in polyunsaturated fats stimulated brown adipose tissue thermogenesis more than saturated fat-rich diets like beef tallow, indicating that fatty acid composition influences metabolic rate and energy expenditure.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3320290/

4. Title: The effects of fat consumption on low-density lipoprotein particle size in healthy individuals: a narrative review

Evidence indicates that saturated fat intake increases large, buoyant LDL particles, which are less atherogenic than small, dense LDL particles, suggesting that saturated fat may not increase cardiovascular risk as traditionally thought.

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8348839/