What Are trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids & What Foods Can I Find It In?
trans-polyenoic fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Hydrogenation of unsaturated vegetable oils is high in polyunsaturated trans fatty acids.
Industrial hydrogenation of vegetable oils is largely the main source of trans fatty acids in our diet.
Fatty acids from industrial hydrogenation processes should be considered harmful.
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Natural trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids Are Needed
trans-Polyenoic fatty acids are essential for the survival of both plants and animals and serve as an important structural component of membranes.
They are produced by plants, algae, and bacteria, but are not produced in mammals.
Health Aspects Of trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids
trans-Polyenoic fatty acids are a type of fat that can be created artificially via partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils.
These artificially made trans-fats in the diet are correlated through research with negative health aspects, like cardiovascular disease, inflammation, obesity, impaired insulin sensitivity, and increased breast cancer and Alzheimer's risks. (source ◳)
Natural trans-fats found in ruminant fats occur, but research regarding the health aspects is ongoing. (source ◳)
Common polyenoic fatty acids
Polyenoic fatty acids are known to have potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Examples of polyenoic fatty acids:
- Linoleic acid, 18:2 (n-6)
- gamma-Linolenic acid, 18:3 (n-6)
- dihomo-gamma-Linolenic acid, 20:3 (n-6)
- Arachidonic acid, 20:4 (n-6)
Foods You Can Find trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids In
You find trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids mostly in fats and oils, and lamb, veal, and game products.
Examples of food sources include
Foods in our nutrition tool
You can find regularly updated top-ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.
If you are interested in what foods contain the most trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids, we recommend you visit our tool.
Here's our top-ranked list of foods that contain trans-Polyenoic Fatty Acids.
