Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

Plants and animals both store energy in the bonds of chemical 

The formula for a triglyceride may vary because (a) the length of the fatty acid chains may vary from 14 to 24 carbon atoms (b) a triglyceride may contain as many as three different fatty acids and (c) the bonding between adjacent carbon atoms may consist of combinations of single and/or double covalent bonds. 

The general formula for a triglyceride is shown at the right. In this formula, R, R, and R represent fatty acid chains. These groups may be identical to or different from each other. 

In a saturated fatty acid, only single bonds are found between carbon atoms. The term saturated indicates that the carbon atoms of the chain contain all the hydrogen atoms that can be attached. Saturated fats contain only saturated fatty acid chains. A fatty acid with one or more double bonds in the chain is said to be unsaturated, that is, more hydrogen atoms can be attached. Unsaturated fats contain one double bond in the fatty acid chain. Polyunsaturated fats contain several double bonds. 

Laurie, myristic, palmitic, and stearic fatty acids make up most of the saturated fatty acids found in fats. Oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid are the most abundant unsaturated fatty acids found in oils. 

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Reduce intake of both saturated and unsaturated fats, from 40% to approximately 30% of total calories. 

How atoms are bonded to each other plays a significant role in the properties of the substances they create. Saturated and unsaturated fats are listed on the nutritional labels of many food products, and is medical advice about the advisability of including them in a healthy diet is offered. Saturated fats have single bonds, whereas unsaturated fats have double bonds. The triple bond in acetylene is responsible for its extreme reactivity and flammability. 

Predict whether each substance to be tested will react with aqueous potassium permanganate. (In part, you can base your predictions on what you know about saturated and unsaturated fats from the media, as well as from biology and health classes.)... 

Satchithanandam, S. Oles, C.J. Spease, C.J. Brandt, M.M. Yurawecz M.P. Rader, J.I. Trans, saturated, and unsaturated fat in foods in the United States prior to mandatory trans-fat labeling. Lipids 2004, 39, 11-18. 

Deficiencies in these fatty acids are rare, since they are present in abundance in plant food, fowl, and fish. The caloric values of saturated and unsaturated fats are comparable however, the proportion of saturated to unsaturated fats in the diet has significant physiological consequences. 

Margarine is fat. It s just a different kind of fat from butter. Whereas butter contains mostly saturated fats, the fats in margarine are a mix of the saturated and unsaturated varieties. Saturated and unsaturated fats vary slightly in molecular structure. 

It is difficult these days to escape headlines, labels and advertisements dwelling on saturated and unsaturated fats. Those with a bit of chemistry background will be familiar with the idea of saturation in the context of dissolving things, say salt in water. When you have dissolved as much as will dissolve, the solution is said to be saturated. The use of the term saturated for fats, however, is absolutely unconnected with dissolving in water or in anything else. 

What is a fatty acid, and what is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats ... 

Understand the difference between a saturated and unsaturated fat. (Section 24.9)... 

In order to choose between butter and maigarine, some information about the differing chemical composition is probably helpful. About 99% of natural fats and oils are usually triglycerides, which are esters of glycerol with long chain fatly acids (—>2.4,2.13), Saturated and unsaturated fats are both present. In the latter, there are double carbon-carbon bonds in the chain of fatty acids (Fig. 2.8). Another aspect focuses on omega fatty acids (—>2.13). 

Bochenek, W., and Rodgers, J. B., 1978, Effects of saturated and unsaturated fats given with and without dietary cholesterol on hepatic cholesterol synthesis and hepatic lipid metabolism, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 528 1. 

Although it is the fatty acids that are saturated or unsaturated, it is common to discuss saturated and unsaturated fats. Although is not really correct, it is a useful shorthand, reflecting the fact that fats from different sources contain a greater or lesser proportion of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. 

Both the total intake of fat and, more importantly, the relative amounts of saturated and unsaturated fats affect the concentration of cholesterol in LDL. Figure 7.10 shows the results of a number of studies of the effects of different types of dietary fat on serum LDL cholesterol ... 

According to Egeberg (10), factor XI is found activated after a fat-rich meal, whereas other authors, even after feeding up to 118 g of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats find no evidence whatsoever for an activation of the blood clotting system (31). 

The type of fat in the diet has a strong influence on serum or plasma cholesterol levels. Rabbits fed saturated fat develop more severe atherosclerosis than do rabbits fed unsaturated fat. In 1965 the groups of Keys and Hegsted independently developed formulae for predicting changes in cholesterol levels based on changes in the diet. Their formulae were based upon changes in quantity of saturated and unsaturated fat and in dietary cholesterol, but the last value makes a very small contribution to the overall number. The Keys formula is ... 

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