Saturated, unsaturated, omega-3 fats — what do these terms really mean?
Dietary fats, those found in meat, cheese, oil, butter and salad dressing are often discussed in the news with big sounding names. These terms refer to the type of fat, the length of the fat chain, and the type of bond holding the fat chain together. Most dietary fats (called triglycerides) are made up of fatty acids, the individual sections of the fat chain.
Saturated fats have a fatty acid chain where all the carbon molecules are surrounded by hydrogen molecules and all spaces are filled. It’s similar to a classroom with 20 chairs and every chair is filled. Butter, cheese, meat, bacon and lard are examples of foods with predominately saturated fat.
Monounsaturated fats have a fatty acid chain where one section in the chain has a double bond where an extra molecule could attach. It is a classroom with one empty seat. Olives, olive oil, avocados and grape seed oil have more monounsaturated fats than any other type.
Polyunsaturated fats have a fatty acid chain with 2 or more double bonds. This is a classroom with a minimum of 2 empty seats but it could have more. Extra molecules can be added to this fat chain. Margarine and all vegetable oils are made up of mostly polyunsaturated fats.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fats simply refer to the place on the fat chain that has the first double bond. Olive oil, salmon and walnuts are rich in heart healthy omega-3 fats. Vegetable oils are rich is omega-6 fats. Many experts feel we eat too many omega-6 fats and too few omega-3 fats.
Length of the chain: Fatty acid chains with 6 to 12 carbons are considered medium chain triglycerides (MCT). They are found in coconut and palm kernel oil. Fatty acid chains with more than 12 carbons are called long chain triglycerides (LCT). Most dietary fats are LCT.
