Saturated Fatty Acids and Human Health

Health newspaper

      Saturated fatty acids are fatty acids that do not contain double bonds. In food, the saturated fatty acid has a carbon chain length of 8 to 18 carbon atoms, respectively, medium carbon chain fatty acids (80 and 100), lauric acid (120), myristic acid (140), palmitic acid (160) and Stearic acid (180). Animal foods contain fat, saturated fatty acids accounted for 40% to 60%, mainly palmitic acid and stearic acid, which constitute 60% of saturated fatty acids and about 25%.

      Saturated fatty acids and other fatty acids, in addition to constitute human tissue, the important physiological function is to provide energy. Dietary saturated fatty acid intake significantly affected lipid levels. There is evidence that elevated blood lipids, especially elevated serum cholesterol levels, are an important factor in atherosclerosis, while saturated dietary fatty acids are the main fatty acids that increase serum cholesterol. Therefore, the World Health Organization recommends that dietary saturated fatty acids should provide less than 10% of the total energy of the diet.

Different types of saturated fatty acids have different effects on blood lipids: palmitic acid increases serum LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, followed by lauric acid and myristic acid. At present, lauric acid, myristic acid and palmitic acid have been included in the list of elevated cholesterol levels. Hard fat on the increase in serum cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol effect is not obvious, the reason may be stearic acid in vivo rapid conversion to oleic acid.