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Baffled by some of the words? Check out the Key terms page
Clinical Obesity
overweight to a degree which causes medical complications
Fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated
KEY CONCEPT:
a fatty acid whose carbon chain cannot absorb any more hydrogen atoms;
They are found chiefly in animal fats
(fig 1)
Saturated Fatty Acids
an unsaturated fatty acid whose carbon chain has one double or triple valence bond per molecule; found chiefly in olive oil and chicken and almonds
(fig 1)
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Polyunsaturated fatty acids
- an unsaturated fatty acid whose carbon chain has more than one double or triple valence bond per molecule; found chiefly in fish and corn and soybean oil and sunflower oil
(fig 1)
Fig 1 : Types of Fatty Acids
Fig 2 : Types of Fatty Acids
The name "Fats" refers to a group of chemical compounds; these consist of Fatty acids.
The body stores the majority of its energy in fat.
The diet requires fat in order to provide vital fatty acids, for growth; the body does not produce these alone.
Fats and Fatty Acids- What are they?
Fatty Acid Types
There are three main types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. All fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms.
A saturated fatty acid aquires the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms attached to every carbon atom.
Due to this; it is referred to as "saturated" with hydrogen atoms, and all of the carbons are attached to each other with single bonds.
In some fatty acids, a pair of hydrogen atoms is lacking in the middle of a chain. This subseqently generates a gap which alos leaves two carbon atoms connected a double bond; instead of a single bond. As the chain has less hydrogen atoms; it is known as unsaturated.
A fatty acid with one double bond is known as being"monounsaturated" as it acquires one gap. Fatty acids which acquire more than one gap are known as"polyunsaturated."
The fat in foods consists of a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
In foods of animal origin, a large proportion of fatty acids are saturated.
In contrast, in foods of plant origin and some seafood, a large proportion of the fatty acids are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. (Figure 3)
Fig 3 : Fatty Acids diagram
Saturated Fats:
Saturated fat is found mostly in foods from animals and some plants.Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature.
Foods from animals — These include pork , beef, veal, lamb, cream, lard, poultry fat, beef fat, butter, milk, cheeses and other dairy products made from whole milk.
In addition to this, they also contain dietry cholestrol
Foods from plants — coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil (also known as tropical oils), and cocoa butter.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats — Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the two unsaturated fats. They're found mainly in oils from plants.
Polyunsaturated fats — safflower, and sunflower seeds, sesame, soybeans and corn many nuts and seeds, and their oils. These fats are usually liquid at room temperature and in the fridge. .
Monounsaturated fats — olive, canola, avocados and peanut oils. These fats remain liquid at room temperature however there is a chance that they may start to solidify in the refrigerator.
Where are they found?
Saturated, monosaturated or polyunsaturated?
Unsaturated fatty acids which exist naturally usually have an increased amount of carbon atoms.
Figure 4 - Unsaturated Fatty Acid
Fatty acids vary in the number of carbon atoms in the hyrocarbon chain and in the bonding of the carbon atoms to each other and to hydrogens.
SATURATED- ALL carbon atoms in the chain are connected by single covalent bonds- Not possible for the value of the hydrogen atoms bound to the carbons to increase.
UNSATURATED- Consist of ONE or MORE double bonds. This is between the carbon atoms in the chain.
THEREFORE, if any double bond is replaced by a single bond, an increased amount of hydrogen can be bound to carbons. (refer to figure 4)
TYPES OF FATTY ACIDS : A SUMMARY
MONOUNSATURATED - ONE DOUBLE BOND
POLYUNSATURATED- TWO OR MORE DOUBLE BONDS
CIS UNSATURATED- hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon atoms located on the same side of a double bond.
TRANS- UNSATURATED- hydrogen bonds bonded to carbon atoms located on opposite sides of a double bond. (figure 5)
TYPES OF FATTY ACIDS : A SUMMARY PART 2
Figure 5 - Trans and cis unsaturated fatty acids
COMPARISON OF SATURATED AND UNSATURATED FATS (please scroll down to view all values)
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