Is Wagyu healthy?

What is Wagyu fat made of?

Mostly monounsaturated fat. In Japan's national food composition tables, about 58% of the fatty acids in raw Wagyu rib loin (the ribeye) are monounsaturated, and about half are oleic acid ^[1]. Oleic acid is the same fat that makes up most of olive oil. About 39% of the fatty acids are saturated ^[1].

The same tables list beef imported into Japan, which is leaner and differently built. Its rib loin fat is about 44% monounsaturated and 53% saturated ^[1]. Put as a ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fat:

The size of the gap depends on the cattle and the study. In a Spanish study of purebred Wagyu raised in Spain, oleic acid made up 47.5% of the entrecote's (ribeye's) fatty acids, against 43.3% in Angus-cross steers, and the monounsaturated-to-saturated ratio was 1.2 against 1.1 ^[3].

That makeup is what lets Wagyu fat melt at 64–80°F (18–27°C), below body temperature ^[4]. It's why a slice softens on your tongue. The hub guide covers the rest of what sets Japanese Wagyu apart.

How many calories are in Wagyu?

About 146 calories per raw ounce for a Wagyu ribeye, roughly twice a USDA Choice ribeye. Japan's tables give raw Wagyu rib loin 514 kcal and 56.5 g of fat per 100 g ^[1]. USDA gives a raw Choice ribeye 241 kcal and 18.4 g of fat per 100 g ^[2]. Per ounce (our conversion of those per-100 g figures):

Wagyu trades protein for fat. An ounce of Wagyu ribeye has about half the protein of an ounce of Choice ribeye, because so much of its weight is marbling.

These are national averages for each food, not measurements of our cow. Nobody has run Takemitsu-chan's ribeye through a lab, and any one steak can come in above or below the average.

Which Wagyu cuts have less fat?

The round and the fillet, by a wide margin. Japan's tables list Wagyu cut by cut, and the leanest carry under half the calories of the ribeye [1]:

Trimming the outside fat off a Wagyu ribeye barely moves the number. The tables list rib loin without its outer fat at 502 kcal per 100 g, against 514 with it ^[1]. The fat is inside the muscle, laced through it as marbling, so there's little to cut away.

Is Wagyu fat healthier than regular beef fat?

It's built differently, and that's as far as these numbers go. A higher share of monounsaturated fat describes what Wagyu fat is made of. It doesn't mean Wagyu is low in saturated fat. Because a Wagyu ribeye has about three times the fat of a Choice ribeye, it also carries more than twice the saturated fat per ounce, 5.6 g against 2.3 g ^[1][2]. A better ratio of fats doesn't mean less fat.

Asked about Wagyu health benefits, our answer is that we don't claim any. A food composition table tells you what's in the meat. It can't tell you what that meat will do for your health, and we won't stretch it to.

How much Wagyu should one person eat?

Plan on about 4–8 oz per person, against an 8–12 oz Angus steak. Our A4 eats well at the top of that range or beyond. The calorie math (our arithmetic from the figures above, raw weight) shows why the portion matters:

Four ounces of Wagyu ribeye carry about the same energy as eight of Choice ribeye. If you want Wagyu flavor with less fat, a top round steak or filet mignon gets you there at under half the ribeye's calories per ounce. Cooking has the timings for each, and the FAQ has more on portions.

Wagyu nutrition at a glance

• What the fat is: about 58% monounsaturated and about half oleic acid in Wagyu ribeye, with a monounsaturated-to-saturated ratio of 1.5 ^[1].
• What it costs you: about 146 calories, 16 g of fat and 5.6 g of saturated fat per raw ounce of ribeye, roughly twice the calories of a Choice ribeye ^[1][2].
• Leaner choices: Wagyu round and fillet run about 60–67 calories per ounce ^[1].
• Portion: about 4–8 oz per person; our A4 eats well at the top of that range or beyond.
• Health claims: none. Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian about your own diet.

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