Fats & Oils (III)

Unsaturated fats and how they are divided

How do saturated and unsaturated fats differ? We’ve already talked about fat at a molecular level and how they contain fatty acid chains. In these chains there is a certain amount of space for hydrogen atoms, one of the three building blocks of a fat, and if all of these spots are taken up then the fat is considered fully saturated and thus deemed a saturated fat. But what if all the spots aren’t taken up? Well if there are hydrogen atoms missing from the chain then the fat isn’t fully saturated. The oxygen in the chains use this extra left over bond to make double bonds with one another and it is these double bonds that make an unsaturated fat.

Monounsaturated fats

Monounsaturated fats are these fats made primarily of fatty acid chains with one double bond. As a whole group they have been classed as cholesterol lowering fats and can help stave off any possible future cardiovascular problems if consumed in place of fatty acids that have the adverse effect. However monounsaturated fatty acids range in effects. The most important monounsaturated fatty acid when it comes to nutrition and giving your body the chemicals it needs to maintain health is oleic acid.

What is oleic acid?

You’ve probably heard of your omega-3 fatty acids haven’t you? Well oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid which is most concentrated in olive oil, pecan oil and peanut oil. The health benefits of consuming these monounsaturated fatty acids include reducing blood pressure as this is a trait that is held by olive oil and it is strongly believed that it is the oleic acids (which makes up 75% of what is in olive oil) is responsible for this. It is also believed that oleic acid can help fight the progression of a lethal and nasty disease that attacks the brain and adrenal glands called adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD (also known as Schilder’s disease).

However increased levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and oleic acid in red blood cells has been attributed to higher risks of developing breast cancer. Yet this is all speculative and as long as you moderate what you are consuming the health benefits are rather astounding.

Check out the great book ‘Fats that Heal Fats that Kill’ by Udo Erasmus which, while it can get quite scientific at times, is a massive eye opener in the speculative and still very ambiguous world of getting the most nutrition from fats as is possible.