Animal fats are different!!! Butterfat is only 80% fat, pork and beef
fat are 25% fat, but tallow is 100% fat. The primary difference is
that most of the animal fats are saturated. We don't know the extent
of large differences, but there are differences in availability
between some animal and vegetable fats, and also between vegetable
fats. There is some speculation that vegetable fats may be better for
energy utilization because more fatty acids could be available at a
faster rate. Also, high fat diets generate less heat of metabolism than high
soluble carbohydrate diets, which may translate into a cooler body
during work. The proportion of fatty acids are different, and some
fatty acids are essential (EFA), and help with membrane integrity and
the immune response. These are found only in vegetable fats, and
cannot be synthesized by animals. Cheers...Lynn
Lynn E. Taylor, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Equine Science
Otterbein College
Westerville, Oh 43081
ltaylor@otterbein.edu