written by: Zenani Sizane
You have undoubtedly heard about "fatty acids" and how important they are to human health if you read a lot about foods and plant oils. And if you've ever wondered about these fatty acids—what they are, how they work, and why they appear in everything you eat or use topically—don't worry—we have all the answers you need right here. This blog post will explain not only what fatty acids are and how they work, but also the various sorts of fatty acids and provide you with all the information you need to know about the most common varieties of each particular fatty acid.
What Are Fatty Acids?
Here is a definition of reliable source say a Fatty Acid is:
“A Fatty Acid is a carboxylic acid consisting of a hydrocarbon chain and a terminal carboxyl group, especially any of those occurring as esters in fats and oils.”
Simply put, fatty acids are the building blocks of fat in our bodies and the foods we eat. During digestion, the body converts fats into fatty acids that can be taken into the bloodstream. Fatty acid molecules are frequently bound together in groups of three to form a molecule known as triglycerides, which our bodies produce from the carbohydrates we consume. Fatty acids serve numerous critical activities in the body, including energy storage. If glucose (a form of sugar) is not available for energy, the body turns to fatty acids to fuel the cells.
Fatty acids are also a large component of lipids (up to 70%) in some species, but in others, they are found as three types of esters: triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesteryl esters. Fatty acids, in all of their forms, are significant nutritional fuel sources for animals as well as structural components for cells.
Fatty acids are long-chain hydrocarbons which are divided into four categories: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats. There are over 20 varieties found in foods, nuts, animal fats, and fish oils. You will also learn about vital fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which play important roles in cellular activities. They are an essential component of the human diet because the body lacks a biochemical route through which it produces these molecules on its own. Let's look at the many forms of fatty acids and what they do.
Different Types of Fatty Acids?
Fatty Acids can be classified in many ways: By length, by saturation Vs unsaturation, by even vs odd carbon content, and by linear vs branched. There are numerous types of fatty acids in the fats and oils from food that are either saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Here is a few examples of fatty acids found in foods include:
Length of Fatty Acid:
Fatty acids can also be categorized based on the length of their hydrocarbon chain, which includes the carboxylic acid carbon in the overall molecular carbon count.
Types:
Short-Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) - these are fatty acids with aliphatic tails of five or fewer carbons (e.g. Butyric Acid).
Medium Chain Fatty Acid (MCFA) - these are fatty acids with aliphatic tails of 6 to 12 carbons, which can form medium-chain triglycerides (e.g. Lauric Acid).
Long Chain Fatty Acid (LCFA) - these are fatty acids with aliphatic tails of 13 to 21 carbons (e.g. Stearic Acid).
Very Long Chain Fatty Acid (VLCFA) - these are fatty acids with aliphatic tails of 22 + or more carbons (e.g. Erucic Acid).
Saturated Fatty Acids: palmitic, stearic, myristic and lauric acid
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: oleic and caprylic acid
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: arachidic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid
The Function of the Different Types of Fatty Acids?
Now that we know there are numerous types of fatty acids, we can divide them into four categories: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans. We also find that Fatty Acids are chemically categorized as saturated or unsaturated based on the presence or absence of alkene functional groups in their hydrocarbon chain, so in the next part of this article, we are going to unpack the difference between the Saturated Fatty Acids Vs Unsaturated Fatty Acids and then look into the two types of unsaturated fatty acids; monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and how they are individually play a vital role.
What is the difference between saturated Vs unsaturated fatty acids?
In general, fat is vital in a healthy diet and lifestyle; however, the type of fat in your food, whether saturated or unsaturated, should be considered when making meals. Many of the foods we eat include both saturated and unsaturated fats.
Because saturated and unsaturated fats are distinct types of fats, different foods contain varying amounts of fat with varied proportions of saturated and unsaturated fats. Some saturated fat-rich foods include full-fat dairy products such as butter, cheese, and yogurt, as well as processed foods. Avocados are a fantastic example of unsaturated fats, which are often found in plant sources such as nuts, seeds, and vegetables.
The two fats differ structurally due to the presence of double bonds in the fatty acid chain. Saturated fatty acids are distinguished by their single carbon-to-carbon bonds, which lack c=c double bonds. Because they lack carbon-to-carbon double bonds, saturated fats harden at room temperature; good examples are coconut oil, palm oil, and lard.
Unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, have one or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds that can give rise to either cis or trans isomers and are typically liquid at ambient temperature. Unsaturated fats are also seen to be the better option among the two fats.
One of the most important parts of the differences between various types of lipids is their potential impact on your health. Understanding the distinction between the two types of fats will help you make better decisions while cooking and shopping. Paying attention to the quantity of saturated and unsaturated fat in your diet can help you make informed food choices, and choosing unsaturated options is a good thing for your heart health because it lowers cholesterol and reduces cardiovascular disease risk.
What is a Saturated Fat?
A saturated fat is one that contains only single interactions between its fatty acid chains. The term saturated refers to the maximum number of hydrogen atoms linked to each carbon in the molecule. Saturated fatty acids lack carbon-to-carbon double bonds; thus, glyceride fats with no carbon chain double bonds are referred to as saturated fats because they are "saturated with" hydrogen atoms, with no double bonds available to react with additional hydrogen.
Saturated fat is a type of fat that is typically solid at room temperature and is found in high quantities in animal products such as meat, cheese, cream, milk, eggs, butter, and lard, as well as milk chocolate and many processed meals such as deep-fried items in hydrogenated oil and sausage. Some store-bought baked goods are also high in trans-fat, particularly those utilizing partially hydrogenated oils. Certain vegetable oils, such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil, contain high levels of saturated fat.
A great deal of health organizations and research have found that consuming too much saturated fatty acids has a negative impact on serum lipids by increasing low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, putting you at a higher risk of heart disease. High saturated fat diets have also been linked to high blood pressure, cancer, and obesity.
According to recent studies, the current consensus for saturated fat consumption varies by age group and ranges from 12% to 14% of total calories. It is advised that we consume at least 10% saturated fat in our daily diet; however, some studies suggest that women should limit their intake to approximately 20g and males to 30g per day.
Are saturated fats that bad for your health? No, like with many things in life, eating too much of something can be detrimental to your health, but if you know how to limit your intake, saturated fats can be beneficial. According to a 2016 study, full fat milk can help prevent diabetes and aid with weight management. And some studies have gone so far as to refute the notion that saturated fats cause disease, claiming that replacing saturated fats in the diet with refined carbs is even worse for health.
The Two Types of Unsaturated Fatty Acids
What is an unsaturated fatty acid?
The phrase unsaturated fat implies that fewer than the maximum number of hydrogen atoms are bound to each carbon in the molecule. Unsaturated fatty acids differ from saturated fats because they contain one or more carbon-to-carbon double bonds. Unsaturated fats often stay liquid at room temperature.
There are two types of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The two are distinguishable by their chemical structures. Monounsaturated fats have a carbon-to-carbon double bond, whereas polyunsaturated fats have two or more double bonds in their structure.
Nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, and spreads are good plant sources of unsaturated fats, thus many health and nutrition specialists and experts prefer unsaturated fats to saturated fats. Unsaturated fats are highly recommended for a balanced diet because they help minimize the risk factors of cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, and other types of malignancies.
One question about unsaturated fats is whether it is possible to consume too many of them. The answer is yes, and the rule of thumb here is to have a healthy relationship with food, in which you believe that the best way to be and stay healthy is to eat everything in moderation, not eating too much or too little of what your body requires.
In the following part, we'll look at the key uses and functions of the two types of unsaturated fats, as well as why each should account for the majority of your daily fat consumption.
Monounsaturated Fat
In general, monounsaturated fats are quite beneficial to consume on a regular basis. They have a better overall effect on blood cholesterol than polyunsaturated fats, decreasing LDL while maintaining or slightly increasing HDL levels.
Monounsaturated fats are most abundant in olives, olive oil, rapeseed oil, avocados, a range of groundnut oils, and nuts. It is also found in several dairy products, eggs, cooking fats and oils, seafood, and meats. Monounsaturated fats are also thought to deliver nutrients that aid in the development and maintenance of your body's cells. Oils high in monounsaturated fats, for example, provide the diet with Vitamin E, an antioxidant that the human body needs.
There is evidence that a diet high in monounsaturated fats is associated with lower rates of heart disease, longer longevity, and a lower risk of some malignancies. Experts recommend that the remaining fatty acids in our diet that are not saturated or polyunsaturated fats be consumed as monounsaturated fats; however, for the sake of your circulation, heart, and health, it is wise to replace more saturated and trans fats in your diet with monounsaturated fats. This would entail consuming more plant-based foods while limiting animal-based and commercially manufactured items.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats are required for normal processes such as nerve protection, cell membrane formation, blood clotting, inflammation, and muscular action; however, your body cannot produce these fats, hence it is recommended that you acquire them through your diet.
The two main types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are important fatty acids, which the body needs for brain function and cell growth. Our bodies do not produce vital fatty acids; thus, you must obtain them through food.
The two main types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are important fatty acids, which the body need for brain function and cell growth. Our bodies do not produce vital fatty acids; thus, you must obtain them through food.
These unsaturated fats help your body conduct critical processes while also lowering dangerous triglycerides, blood pressure, and producing the proper sort of cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to be useful in some inflammatory illnesses because they displace omega-6 fatty acids like arachidic acid in cell membranes, lowering the production of metabolic end products such as prostaglandins and thromboxane's.
Polyunsaturated fats have the reverse impact of saturated fats, lowering "bad" cholesterol, and are one of the few natural sources of vitamin E. Deficiencies cause symptoms and disorders such as impaired immunological function, depression, and skin dryness, but adequate consumption may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, digestive problems like ulcers, joint discomfort, and nervous system ailments.
Check out part two of fatty acids, where we will discuss the many varieties, what essential fatty acids are, and how to include them into your skincare.
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