About this Resource
The majority of the fat we eat is comprised of triglycerides, which consist of a glycerol backbone with three fatty acids attached to it. A fatty acid is a molecule made up of a chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms, known as a hydrocarbon chain and can be classified based on the properties of this chain. Key factors include the chain’s length, whether it contains double bonds between carbon atoms, and the specific locations of any double bonds.
Grounded in the Research
“Fatty acids, both free and as part of complex lipids, play a number of key roles in metabolism – major metabolic fuel (storage and transport of energy), as essential components of all membranes, and as gene regulators”
Excerpt from: Rustan, A. C., & Drevon, C. A. (2005). Fatty acids: structures and properties. Encyclopedia of life sciences, 1, 1-7.
References
[1] Rustan, A. C., & Drevon, C. A. (2005). Fatty acids: structures and properties. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, 1, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/npg.els.0003894
[2] Huth, P. J., Fulgoni, V. L., Keast, D. R., Park, K., & Auestad, N. (2013). Major food sources of calories, added sugars, and saturated fat and their contribution to essential nutrient intakes in the US diet: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2006). Nutrition Journal, 12, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-12-116
[3] Gillingham, L. G., Harris-Janz, S., & Jones, P. J. (2011). Dietary monounsaturated fatty acids are protective against metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Lipids, 46, 209-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-010-3524-y
[4] Kris-Etherton, P. M., Taylor, D. S., Yu-Poth, S., Huth, P., Moriarty, K., Fishell, V., … & Etherton, T. D. (2000). Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in the United States. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 71(1), 179S-188S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.1.179S