Beef tallow has a lot of fans touting its purported health benefits over seed oils. It even has a place in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, the U.S. government’s official advice on what to eat and drink as part of a healthy diet. When cooking with fats, people should priori tize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil, but other options can include beef tallow, the latest guidelines note. The rendered fat from beef cattle has a high smoke point, so it’s used as a frying oil and as a shortening in baked goods. Some restaurants have recently switched to beef tallow when cooking french fries. But some heart doctors have been alarmed by the trend. Diet Exercise May 5 It's healthy to eat almonds every day, if you keep these 3 tips in mind, dietitian says Diet Exercise Apr 29 Are refried beans healthy? Dietitians on the Mexican staple Heart health tip of the day: Avoid beef tallow Data showing any health benefits of beef tallow “is lacking,” a panel of cardiologists wrote in a review titled, “A Clinician’s Guide for Trending Cardiovascular Nutritional Controversies in 2026” and published earlier this year in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology. But there is “considerable evidence of possible harm” given that beef tallow can raise LDL cholesterol — the kind that can build up in arteries, experts warned in an accompanying editorial commentary. “Collectively, no evidence supports using beef tallow as a healthier alternative to seed oils or other plant-based oils that are solid at room temperature” such as palm, palm kernel or coconut oils, the cardiologists wrote. Meanwhile, seed oils like canola, soybean, sunflower and corn oil provide cardiometabolic benefits without evidence of promoting inflammation in human studies, they added. Why it matters Beef tallow is about 50% saturated fat, a type that’s solid at room temperature. A diet high in saturated fats raises LDL cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease, the American Heart Association warns. LDL levels increased about 9% after consuming a high-fat meal containing beef tallow, according to a study cited by the cardiologist review. LDL cholesterol and other substances form plaque, which causes coronary arteries to become hardened and narrowed, reducing blood flow. “If you obstruct blood flow to a heart, you have a heart attack. If you obstruct blood flow to the brain, you have a stroke,” said Dr. Clyde Yancy, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, previously told NBC News. The AHA recommends consuming no more than 13 grams of saturated fat per day — the equivalent of just one tablespoon of beef tallow. It encourages consumers to “limit high-fat animal products including red meat, butter, lard and tallow.” Animal fats are rich in nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins, and may be healthy when eaten occasionally in small amounts as part of a healthy diet, dietitians told TODAY.com. But a diet high in animal-based fat is associated with an elevated risk for both overall and cardiovascular disease mortality, a 2024 study found. How to get started To help ensure good heart health, use plant oils rather than tropical oils — such as coconut or palm oil — and animal fats such as beef tallow, the experts recommend. Olive oil is considered the healthiest oil for everyday cooking. Beef tallow is “probably healthier than ultraprocessed foods high in starch, sugar and salt — but it’s less healthy than olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil or fats from nuts or avocados,” Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of Tufts University’s Food is Medicine Institute, previously told NBC News. This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: Can eating oatmeal daily get rid of constipation? Dietitians weigh in A cardiologist on the No. 1 reason she wouldn’t use electrolyte packets daily ‘Cooking With Rudy’: Man teaches 77-year-old neighbor to cook in heartwarming series ...read more read less