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1 fat better than olive oil
You have to know this
Kos Zharoid
May 25, 2025
Meet the fat that won’t fry you.
The villain of the '90s might just be today’s culinary underdog. While vegetable oils quietly oxidize into cellular saboteurs, beef fat is staying cool under pressure - literally. Could this old-school fat be a healthier frying partner than your fancy avocado oil? Let’s find out.
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Beef fat makes a comeback: the science behind this popular trend.
You've probably noticed that beef fat (beef tallow) is making a big comeback in cooking! This isn't just about missing grandma's old recipes. A whole movement now tells people to stop using factory-made vegetable oils. But let's be honest: does science really support this complete change? Is animal fat actually a smart choice over sunflower oil for your heart?
Under the microscope: what's inside beef fat?
When I first started studying different cooking fats, the makeup of beef fat amazed me.
About 50% saturated fatty acids (the ones we used to fear)
42% monounsaturated fatty acids (mostly oleic acid) - yes, the same "healthy" acid that olive oil has!
4-5% polyunsaturated fatty acids
Stearic acid (18:0) deserves special attention. It makes up 15-20% of all fatty acids in beef fat. Here's where things get really interesting!
Cooking bonus: Beef fat's smoke point reaches an impressive 250°C (482°F) - much higher than most vegetable oils.
Real result? Less toxic aldehydes when you fry and a more stable flavor.
The "cholesterol problem": not all saturated fats work the same way!
Stearic acid vs palmitic acid: Stearic acid, which is a lot of beef fat, acts completely differently in your body compared to other saturated fats! Clinical trials show it stays neutral or slightly lowers LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol).
But don't celebrate yet - beef fat also contains palmitic acid (16:0, about 25%) and myristic acid. These acids raise LDL levels in a classic way.
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Surprising benefits: why chefs and nutrition experts love beef fat.
Years of research and practice have shown me that beef fat has advantages people often miss:
Heat stability - Beef fat creates far fewer potentially cancer-causing compounds at high temperatures than oils rich in polyunsaturated fats that get heated multiple times.
Oleic acid takes the lead - Up to 42% of beef fat consists of the same monounsaturated acid that made olive oil the star of the Mediterranean diet.
A lifesaver for people who can't handle dairy
Red flags:
High calories and concentrated saturated fats: One tablespoon contains about 115 calories and 6-7 grams of saturated fat. If your daily saturated fat limit is 20 grams (recommended for many people), that's already one-third of your daily limit!
The "hyper-responder" phenomenon: 15-20% of people show an unusually strong increase in LDL cholesterol levels when they eat any extra saturated fats. Check your lipid profile before and after adding beef fat to your diet!
Pushing out essential fatty acids: If beef fat replaces your main sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, you risk creating an imbalance in your fatty acid profile. This can hurt how all your body systems work.
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Choosing the right cooking fats: stability matters.
Different fatty acid structures behave uniquely under high-heat cooking, with unsaturated fats being particularly unstable molecules. While vegetable oils are often marketed for their high smoke points, smoke points alone are misleading indicators of cooking oil safety.
The key factors in determining an oil's suitability for cooking are oxidative stability and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content. Oils with high PUFA levels and low oxidative stability are potentially the most harmful to health. As the degree of unsaturation increases, so does the oxidation rate, producing toxic byproducts that can cause widespread cellular damage.
Critical considerations for cooking oils:
Smoke point is not a reliable measure of oil safety. Instead, Oxidative stability and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) content are the best predictors of oil safety at high temps.
Higher PUFA content correlates with faster oxidation.
Oxidation produces harmful compounds that can damage body tissues.
Saturated and monounsaturated fats are generally more stable for cooking.
When selecting a cooking fat, prioritize stability over marketing claims, focusing on oils that maintain their chemical integrity at high temperatures.
Our сonclusion:
If you have a healthy lipid profile and eat moderate amounts (1-2 tablespoons per day). Beef fat can become a valuable addition to your kitchen tools, especially for frying at high temperatures.
Remember the golden rule from nutritionists and functional medicine specialists: what matters most is the context of your whole plate!
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