The Real Grass-roots Movement
Let’s be real: Vibrant health and a happy life aren’t sold in the supplement aisle. It is rooted in something deeper—literally. Human nutrition begins with the dirt beneath our feet, because where your food comes from, what it’s made of, and how it’s made, matters more than most labels will tell you.
Soil is basically the original supplement. When we’re talking about dirt, we mean the rich living soil that hosts one of the most diverse habitats on earth, buzzing with microbes. When that soil is tilled to death, sprayed to hell, and overworked until it’s facing a burn-out, it loses its sparkle—and so does your food [1]. The result? Nutrient-deficient food that causes hidden hunger, where no matter how much you eat you’ll never be satisfied [2]. When we manage the soil responsibly it supports biodiverse microbes and stores an insane amount of carbon in plant roots (the real grass-roots movement) [3]. Soil is more than a growing medium; it’s a system for nourishment. Healthy soil means healthy everything else—yes, including you.
We all know the saying; you are what you eat. When animals graze on diverse pastures (not monocrops), they are fundamentally different. Generally, grass-fed and pasture-raised animals store more fat-soluble vitamins and a better balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. In comparison with cows raised on grains, cows grazed on good ol’ grassland have less saturated fat and more polyunsaturated fats (PUFA; EPA, DPA, DHA) [4], more on that in a moment. For now, it’s important to understand that: healthier land means healthier animals, which make healthier fats. It's all one big, delicious chain reaction.
Fat: The Misunderstood Hero for Cell Health
We need to clear the air. Fat isn’t a villain. In fact, the right fats feed your brain, build your cells, form your hormones; it keeps your skin, nails, and mood in order. Essential fatty acids are called essential for good reason, from fetal development to keeping your mind sharp into old age. Beyond feeling our best and thinking clearly, we need them to look our best too.
Not all fats are created equal. Here’s your fat-field guide:
Saturated Fats (SFAs): Saturated fat supports signals between cells and gives your cell membranes the structure they need (that also means nicer looking skin) [5]. Despite decades of fear-mongering, new science is proposing: in the context of a whole, nutrient-dense diet, saturated fat isn't the villain — the imbalance is. Tallow is rich in these, but grass-fed tallow has less than grain fed.
Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs): MUFAs help cell membranes to be fluid and flexible, so that signals can pass through the lipid barriers, they also influence the metabolism by affecting gene expression [6]. Tallow contains a solid helping of these too, especially when cows eat grass instead of grains.
Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs): Omega-3s and 6s are essential—but the balance matters. Certain PUFAs, like DHA, are absolutely essential for neural development, but also play roles reducing inflammation and improving immunity [6]. Seed oils overload us with omega-6s and since our bodies use the same pathway for both molecules, we can’t absorb the good stuff anymore (omega-3). It’s also important to know they’re very delicate in high-heat environments, specifically because they’re unsaturated. Grass-fed tallow offers a balanced omega 3:6 ratio. Since it’s low in unstable PUFAs, it holds up beautifully to heat without breaking down or going rancid.
Trans Fats: They’re generally the bad kind — industrial and artificial. Modern meta-analyses are showing that the trans fats from lab-made frankenfats called elaidic acid isomers, rather than saturated fats, could be the real problem here [7]. Sure, grass-fed cows naturally produce a tiny amount of a specific trans fat, but these may actually support metabolic health. Nature wins again.
Basically: quality matters more than category. Nature-made fats? Yes please. Lab-made Frankenfats? Hard pass. In a future article we’ll go deeper into all the types of fatty acids, because there’s way more than we have room for here. Stay tuned.
Moving on, fat is more than fatty acids: it provides the dream-team of vitamins—A, D, E, and K2. These aren’t optional extras. They’re in their most bioavailable form from animal fats, because the animal already did all the heavy converting work for us. Think of beta-carotene (plants) vs retinol (animals), there's a good reason we tend to see retinol-derivatives in skincare. These vitamins play different roles at different stages of development, but let’s highlight that bioavailable nutrients are really, really important for embryonic development (other words: it’s incredibly important for new moms, during pregnancy and when breast feeding) [8]. Real quick;
vitamin A helps with vision, skin health, immune system, and reproduction;
vitamin D regulates calcium for bone health and is made from cholesterol;
vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, shielding cells from damage;
vitamin K2 is needed to develop the central nervous system.
The issue? You can’t get these vitamins without fat. So skimp on fat, and you’re missing out.
The Big Picture: Eat Like You Give a Damn
Real health can’t be faked. It starts underground, in living soil that grows nutrient-rich plants and feeds well-raised animals, that ultimately gives us the food that we need to become our best selves. Tallow is the edible proof that when we take care of the Earth, it takes care of us. And yes, fat from pasture-raised animals has more vitamins, a better ratio of fatty acids, and the best flavor to share with our loved ones at the dinner table.
When we choose food that’s been grown and grazed with good intention—not churned out by mass-production—we’re choosing biodiversity, animal welfare, stronger communities, and better meals.. This is the real grass-roots movement; real wellness through real food, and a planet that benefits from both.
Let’s cook like it matters—because it does.
References
Sheibani, S., & Gholamalizadeh Ahangar, A. (2013). Effect of tillage on soil biodiversity. Journal of Novel Applied Sciences. Link
Lowe, N. M. (2021). The global challenge of hidden hunger: Perspectives from the field. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Link
McCauley, K., & Barlow, K. (2023). Regenerative agriculture: Increasing plant diversity and soil carbon sequestration on agricultural landscapes. Studies by Undergraduate Researchers at Guelph. Link
Nogoy, K. M. C., Sun, B., Shin, S., Lee, Y., Li, X. Z., Choi, S. H., & Park, S. (2022). Fatty acid composition of grain- and grass-fed beef and their nutritional value and health implication. Food Science of Animal Resources. Link
Rioux, V., & Legrand, P. (2007). Saturated fatty acids: Simple molecular structures with complex cellular functions. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. Link
Gunstone, F. D. (2023). Fatty acids: Structures and properties. In Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. Link
de Souza, R. J., Mente, A., Maroleanu, A., Cozma, A. I., Ha, V., Kishibe, T., Uleryk, E., Budylowski, P., Schünemann, H., Beyene, J., & Anand, S. S. (2015). Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Link
Youness, R. A., Dawoud, A., ElTahtawy, O., & Farag, M. A. (2022). Fat-soluble vitamins: Updated review of their role and orchestration in human nutrition throughout the life cycle with sex differences. Nutrition & Metabolism. Link