Saturated Fatty Acids: How To Use Them For Your Benefit

Saturated fatty acids are the simplest form of fats. They come from both animal fats and plant oils.

Saturated fatty acids are fatty acids where several of them might have health implications for us.

The term saturated indicates that the maximum number of hydrogen atoms that bond to each carbon atom in a molecule of fat.

If you are looking for a specific saturated fatty acid, I recommend you use the expanded toc to find it.

Saturated Fatty Acids Intake

Adequate amounts of dietary fat are essential for health. But saturated fatty acids should not provide more than about 10% of all the fat ◳ required in our diet. But in the USA and much of Europe, saturated fatty acids make up 12–15% of the total nutrient energy intake.

Saturated Fatty Acids And Cholesterol

Most saturated fatty acids, but not all, are believed to raise both LDL and HDL ◳ cholesterol. Saturated fatty acids can have different effects on lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but it is unclear effects on CHD risk.

The mechanisms by which saturated fatty acids increase LDL cholesterol levels are not known ◳.

High levels of saturated fatty acid intake can harm the blood lipid profile. Results from a review from WHO ◳ shows that replacing saturated fatty acids with other macronutrients, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, has a favorable effect on the blood lipid profile.

All Our Saturated Fatty Acids Categories

Saturated fatty acids are either short-chain fatty acids containing 4–12 carbon chains, medium-chain fatty acids 13–16 carbon chains, long-chain fatty acids 17–21 carbon chains, or very long-chain fatty acids containing 22 or more carbons.

Short-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids

Short-chain saturated fatty acids (SCFAs) are monocarboxylic acids with a hydrocarbon chain length of 4 to 12 total carbon atoms. Short-chain fatty acids and medium-chain fatty acids have many similarities.

You can find more information about short-chain fatty acids, their benefits and side-effects, and the research behind it, in Saturated Short-Chain Fatty Acids: How To Use Them For Your Benefit.

Medium-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids

Medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) are monocarboxylic acids with a hydrocarbon chain length of 13 to 16 total carbon atoms.

You can find more information about medium-chain fatty acids, their benefits and side-effects, and the research behind it, in Saturated Medium-Chain Fatty Acids: How To Use Them For Your Benefit.

Long-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids

Long-chain saturated fatty acids (LCFAs) are frequently called free fatty acids or nonesterified fatty acids. They are straight-chain fatty acids containing 17 - 21 carbon atoms.

You can find more information about long-chain fatty acids, their benefits and side-effects, and the research behind it, in Saturated Long-Chain Fatty Acids: How To Use Them For Your Benefit.

Very Long-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids

Very long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLCFAs) are fatty acids with a chain length of 22 or more carbon atoms.

You can find more information about very long-chain fatty acids, their benefits and side-effects, and the research behind it, in Saturated Very Long-Chain Fatty Acids: How To Use Them For Your Benefit.

More Information About Saturated Fatty Acids

You can find more information about saturated fatty acid and examples of common types, in What Are Total Count Of Saturated Fatty Acids?

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