Beef fat

Studies in people

• Concern

  Cholesterol levels²

  Beef fat can raise cholesterol in people, though less than its saturated fat content would suggest.

• Concern

  Blood fat after meals³

  In men, beef fat raised LDL cholesterol at 10 hours, while corn oil did not.

• Open question

  Blood cholesterol levels⁴

  Beef fat raised cholesterol less than coconut oil but about the same as safflower oil in men.

• No harm found

  How fat is digested⁵

  Beef fat was almost completely digested, and it did not change how many calories people burned.

• Concern

  Cholesterol levels in people⁶

  In people, beef fat raised cholesterol while lean beef without visible fat did not.

How it’s made and used

• Fat type and nutrient uptake⁷

  In women, beef fat led to more beta-carotene appearing in the blood than sunflower oil did.

• Frying oil quality⁸

  Beef fat mixed into frying oil helped it last longer and form fewer unwanted compounds.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.