Dietary Fats
The food fats are made up of a combination of fatty acids. A food fat is labeled as "saturated," "monounsaturated," "polyunsaturated." You have no doubt heard of all these  types of fats,  but  do you know what types of food contain different kinds of fat? What type of fats you need to avoid and which are more acceptable in your diet? A food fat is  labeled according to the chemical structure of the fatty acids it contains and the attachment of the hydrogen atoms to the fat molecules.
  • When the chemical bonds of fat have a hydrogen atom attached to ALL of the carbon atoms, the fat is said to be SATURATED.
  • When the bonds can hold additional hydrogen atoms, the fat is UNSATURATED.
  • A MONOUNSATURATED fat forms one double bond between two carbon atoms.
  • A POLYUNSATURATED fatty acid forms several double bonds between several carbon atoms by dropping off hydrogen atoms and allowing a single hydrogen atom to attach to more than one carbon atom.
Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and when they are chilled. An example of saturated fats is butter. Diets high in saturate fats increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, which has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

 Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and they thicken when chilled. An example of monounsaturated fats is olive oil. A diet high in unsaturated fats reduces the amount of heart disease and stroke in comparison to saturated fats.

 Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and stay liquid when they are chilled. An example of a polyunsaturated fat is corn oil. A diet high in this type of fat also lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke in comparison to the saturated fats.


 

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