VITAMINS IN BEEF TALLOW REVEALED

HAVE YOU HEARD THE CLAIMS?

Have you ever come across claims about the exceptional vitamin content in tallow? Almost every advertisement, social media post, and product description boasts about tallow being "chock full of," "rich in," "loaded with," or "packed with" essential vitamins A, D, E, and K. Some even extend their claims to include B vitamins. We have ourselves made this claim for several years.

But how accurate are these assertions?

While tallow is widely celebrated for its purported miraculous skin benefits, we set out to investigate the validity of claims regarding its vitamin content. Our questions are:

- Where does this claim come from?

- What exactly constitutes a "high", or at least beneficial, level of vitamins?

- And how does that translate to skin health? Are the vitamins in tallow at the heart of healing various skin issues and can they really make you look a decade younger?

- As a business owner, can I confidently make this claim as a selling point to my customers, especially given the vast difference in tallow quality on the market?

Driven by a desire for transparency and accurate information, we embarked on a journey to conduct independent lab tests to unravel the truth about the vitamins in beef tallow.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Clarification on Our Intentions

It has come to our attention that there may be a misconception about our stance on tallow, with some believing we are attempting to discourage its use and "ruin it for everyone" who wants to make these claims.  We want to emphatically state that this is far from the truth. As passionate advocates of tallow, we are also proud owners of tallow skincare brands. Our objective is to seek accurate information, especially for the purpose of making truthful claims about our products.

Throughout our quest, we discovered a significant information gap that we believe requires attention. Misrepresenting tallow does a disservice to the substance itself and to those who use it. Our commitment is rooted in promoting knowledge and honesty within this space. We aspire to contribute positively to the understanding and appreciation of tallow, ensuring that its true qualities are not only preserved but also accurately communicated.

DISCLAIMER

It's essential to note that our lab tests were conducted independently and at our own expense.  Our aim is to ensure that the products consumers purchase align with the claims made by businesses. Furthermore, this initiative may uncover unique qualities that were not previously known!

As pioneers in this research space, we've devoted extensive hours searching for credible data on the nutritional aspects of tallow. We hope to dispel myths circulating in the tallow-verse and spark conversations and further research.

This project is not the final word on the matter; rather, it marks the beginning. We encourage readers to conduct their own experiments and lab tests, fostering a community of shared information and discovery. Who knows, maybe we will apply for funding for a larger scale, more intensive set of studies someday?

Our tests were conducted at Eurofins in Iowa, recommended by Shalley's local land grant university, a global lab service catering to various testing needs, including nutrition and cosmetics.

THE NEED FOR LAB TESTING

While acknowledging the remarkable anecdotal evidence of tallow's efficacy in skincare, we recognize the need for clinical trials on human subjects. These trials should explore the effectiveness of tallow on various cutaneous ailments. Additionally, studies on quality metrics, such as animal diet, safety concerns related to GMOs, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, deuterium levels, and potential plastic leaching during processing, are crucial. Stability tests for rancidity and pathogens should also be explored.

This specific test focuses on establishing a baseline of nutritional values for 100% grass-fed and finished beef tallow, as scant existing data could be found for comparison.

THE REALITY OF DATA GAPS

Navigate through nearly any blog post discussing tallow, and you'll likely encounter an author referencing a doctor in the wellness space who asserts that tallow is rich in vitamins. However, when one delves into the sources by following the provided links, it often leads to the same USDA graph we have presented here—or, in some cases, no backing source at all.

Let's scrutinize the USDA's database for Beef Tallow per 100g (equivalent to 3.3 ounces), the most frequently cited source. Despite its prevalence, we find the vitamin levels to be surprisingly low, zero or assumed zero. It's noteworthy that this database also lacks information regarding the animals' upbringing and the processing method used for the tallow. The absence of such vital details accentuates the data gap and raises questions about the accuracy of the widely circulated claims regarding tallow's vitamin content.

OUR TALLOW SAMPLE

One might project the USDA’s nutritional data for tallow is based on samples from commodity feedlot beef. Certainly, a sample from properly raised*, grass finished animals will yield better results? That’s what we set out to discover.

*By "properly raised" we mean species appropriate diet (grain free) and free roaming lifestyle on pasture with a variety of forages to eat.

When we refer to "tallow," we specifically mean fat rendered only from suet. Suet is a slab of pure fat surrounding the kidneys of a ruminant animal. Our composite sample includes beef tallow from four farms in the US and Canada, all practicing regenerative agriculture (100% forage fed and finished). All tallow in the sample underwent dry rendering at a maximum temperature of 200°F, ensuring the stability of fat-soluble vitamins.

Our results aim to shed light on the nutritional composition of what we consider to be some of the highest quality beef tallow available.

The Weston A. Price Foundation conducted similar tests for Vitamins A, D, and K in beef tallow around the same time as we did.  Their results are noted in our discussion below.  

ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO TALLOW PURIFICATION

In our pursuit of understanding the impact of purification on tallow, we previously submitted for testing a sample of cosmetic-grade tallow (refined with saltwater until it became odorless and pure white). For detailed information on the fatty acid test results, please refer to our blog post titled Delving Deeper Into the Impact of Tallow Purification.

Notably, this refined sample did not register for fat-soluble vitamins. We requested the lab to conduct the test again at their very lowest detection levels, and once more, no vitamins were detected. This leads us to strongly consider the possibility that the process of saltwater refining may remove vitamins from the tallow. Our assumption is supported by the fact that when tallow is refined to a white hue, the removal of beta-carotenes, responsible for the characteristic yellow color, is necessary. Therefore, it appears that the elimination of these color-contributing elements may also strip away essential vitamins from the tallow.

OUR RESULTS

So let’s take a look at the results and see how they compare.

VITAMIN D

Our lab results did not detect Vitamin D levels above the minimal levels of 70 - 80 IU per 100g. The USDA's stated level is 0.7 micrograms, equating to 28 IU for total Vitamin D2 + D3.  WAPF used a more specialized lab for their D test and the results revealed the presence of 36 IU per 100 g for yellow tallow and 19 IU per 100 g for white tallow.  

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for Vitamin D is 400 to 800 IU for most people, depending on age. Depending on your skin tone and geographical location, you can get 400 IU of this very important vitamin with only a few minutes of sun exposure.

According to Dr. Robert Ashley of UCLA Health:

"The major source of our body's vitamin D comes from our own production in the skin. This requires the ultraviolet rays from sunlight to form vitamin D3; both the liver and the kidneys are needed to then create the active form of vitamin D."

A therapeutic topical dose of vitamin D can be 3000 to 5000 IU. Unfortunately, beef tallow is an insignificant source of Vitamin D according to our findings.

VITAMIN A

Contrary to expectations, our sample did not exhibit significant beta-carotene levels but revealed the presence of retinol. Retinol is the most bioavailable form of Vitamin A and in its natural, safest form, a very sought after vitamin for skincare. Beta carotene, present in fresh, green forages, is what gives beef tallow its characteristic yellow hue and should show up more readily in summer months.

The USDA recorded all forms of Vitamin A at 0.  Our sample registered retinol at 159 IU per 100 g.  WAPF's 2023 test resulted in 328 IU per 100g for white tallow and 308 IU for yellow tallow.  WAPF states, "Lard, tallow, lamb fat, and poultry fats are not good sources of Vitamin A."

For perspective, the RDA for Vitamin A for an adult is approximately 3000 IU. A topical application from a retinoid-based cream might be in the range of 800 to 1000 IU.

VITAMIN E

Grass-fed beef tallow, according to our results, is not a significant source of Vitamin E, with the USDA stating alpha-tocopherol levels at 2.7mg per 100 g. The RDA for Vitamin E is 22 IU, while a topical dose can range from 15 mg to the thousands, depending on the product.

VITAMIN K

Vitamin K levels in our beef tallow sample are 0.14 mcg per gram of K1 and 0.13 mcg per gram of K2 as MK4. MK4 is Dr. Weston A. Price’s prized “Activator X.”  The WAPF 2023 sample registered at 0.14 mcg per gram for yellow tallow and 0.06 mcg per gram for white tallow for MK4.  10 mg of Vitamin K1 and 500-1000 mcg of MK4 are recommended daily dosages for ingestion.  However, WAPF does state that yellow tallow is a good source of K2.

CONCLUSION

Contrary to popular claims, our results indicate that even the highest quality tallow, which we consider therapeutic grade, is not as vitamin-rich as commonly believed. The true value of tallow appears to lie in its fatty acid profile, a topic we will explore in future posts. While the vitamin content is minute, we advocate for its preservation when processing tallow, as these vitamins contribute synergistically to tallow's innate quality.

The next time you encounter claims of "high concentrations" or richness of vitamins in tallow, be assured that the reality may differ.  We think this wild claim began as a logical assumption that took hold and became widely accepted as truth.  

Our intention is not to criticize but to provide more accurate information. As we continue this journey, we encourage you to use and share our data, and we welcome your thoughts on this topic. Join us in building a community of knowledge-sharing, as there is much more to uncover. Who knows? This may be just the beginning, and perhaps larger-scale studies could be on the horizon.

If you would like to follow our ongoing conversation about tallow nutrition and quality, follow us on Instagram or Facebook: Grassland Beauty and Buffalo Gal Grassfed Beauty.  We also invite you to join our new Facebook group called Tallow Research and Education.