Know2eat

Lard

Sus scrofa domesticus

What lard has been studied for

1 association assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Moderate
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About lard

Rendered pork fat, roughly half monounsaturated and just under half saturated — a lower saturated share than butter or beef tallow. Leaf lard from around the kidneys is the mildest grade and the one traditionally used in pastry.

Also known as Rendered pork fat, Leaf lard, Manteca

Heart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Moderate

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Research suggests LDL cholesterol falls when saturated animal fats such as lard are replaced with unsaturated plant oils, one of the more consistent findings in controlled feeding research. The evidence is about the substitution; lard sits between butter and liquid oils on that spectrum rather than at either end.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Lard

Ask about Lard

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories902 kcal45%
Protein0 g0%
Total fat100 g128%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water0 g—
Fats
Saturated fat39.2 g196%
Monounsaturated fat45.1 g—
Polyunsaturated fat11.2 g—
Cholesterol95 mg32%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)10.2 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D2.5 µg13%
Vitamin E0.6 mg4%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0 mg0%
Riboflavin (B2)0 mg0%
Niacin (B3)0 mg0%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0 mg0%
Vitamin B60 mg0%
Folate0 µg0%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline49.7 mg9%
Minerals
Calcium0 mg0%
Iron0 mg0%
Magnesium0 mg0%
Phosphorus0 mg0%
Potassium0 mg0%
Sodium0 mg0%
Zinc0.11 mg1%
Copper0 mg0%
Manganese0 mg0%
Selenium0.2 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Lard (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171401).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Saturated fat

    Lard is less saturated than butter or tallow but considerably more so than any liquid plant oil. Controlled feeding trials consistently show LDL cholesterol falling when saturated animal fats are replaced with unsaturated oils.

  • Worth knowing

    Shelf-stable retail lard is often hydrogenated

    Blocks of lard sold at room temperature are commonly partially hydrogenated and stabilised with antioxidants to stop them going rancid, which can introduce industrial trans fatty acids. Fresh rendered or refrigerated lard is a different product from the shelf-stable block.

  • Worth knowing

    Vitamin D varies enormously

    Lard from pigs raised outdoors can contain useful vitamin D; lard from indoor-raised pigs contains very little. The USDA record is a single average and does not capture that range.

  • Too much

    Energy density

    Pure fat, with the same calories per tablespoon as any oil despite being solid.