Fatty acids
Features
Saturated Fatty
Acids
Unsaturated FA’s
Trans fats
Double bonds?
No doubles: all
single bonds
One or more
double bonds
Few: many
converted to single
bonds by transaddition of
hydrogen across
double bonds
Structure
Linear
Kinked or bent
more linear
State at room
temperature
Solid: “fats”
Liquid: “oils”
Soft solid:
“margarine”,
shortening
Source
Mainly animal fats
(milk, butter, fat in
meat); some plants
(coconut, palm)
Plants (e.g.
sunflower, canola,
olive)
Originally plant oils
modified by
hydrogenation: few
occur naturally in
food
Risk of heart
disease
(atherosclerosis)
Increases
Lowered
Significantly
increased
Copyright © 2017 Loraine Christie