The

FAT FACTS

By :
A.H.Mohamed Rushdi

Department of Food Science & Technology

University of Peradeniya
2010
 INTRODUCTION
What is fat?
Fat is a nutrient. It is crucial for normal body function and without it
we could not live. Not only does fat supply us with energy, it also
makes it possible for other nutrients to do their jobs.

Fats, which consist of a wide group of compounds, are usually soluble

in organic solvents and insoluble in water. The term 'fat' refers to
triacylglycerols (TAG), phospholipids and cholesteryl esters. Dietary
fat consists predominantly (90-98%) of mixtures of TAG. TAG consists
of three fatty acids linked to a glycerol backbone. Fatty acids are
made up of three elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen

At room
temperature
fats may be
present in
either liquid or
solid form; this
depends on
their structure
and
composition.

 Oils - Any fat which exists in liquid form at room

temperature. Oils are also any substances that do not mix
with water and have a greasy feel.
 Fats - All types. However, fats are commonly referred to as
those which are solid at room temperature.
 Lipids - All types of fats, regardless of whether they are liquid
or solid.

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 Where are they found?
Fats widely occur in the adipose tissue of animals and in the seeds,
nuts, and fruits of plants.
They can be found in several natural sources, both from plant and
animal, as well as in many products made out of them such as these
 Meats – Beef, Pork, Chicken, Ham, Fish
 Meat products - Hot dog, Burger, Sausage, Pizza
 Oils – Canola, Corn, Olive, Sun flower, Soy bean, Coconut
 Nuts/ Seeds- Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew, Flaxseed, Walnuts
 Dairy products – Cheese, Milk, Ice cream , Butter, Ghee
 Sweets/ Baked goods- Candy, Chocolate, Cake, Pastry, Fries
 Fats added during cooking or at the table –
Margarine, Lard, Shortenings
Dressings

Different types of Fat / Fatty Acids

Dietary fats are classified by their structure. There
are two chief categories of fat or
fatty acids - saturated and
unsaturated. Within these
categories, there are at least 40
different types of fatty acids.
Broadly speaking, unsaturated
fatty acids are 'good' fatty acids
and saturated fatty acids are
'bad' fatty acids
There are four major dietary fats
in the foods we eat:
 Saturated Fats
 Monounsaturated Fats
 Polyunsaturated Fats
 Trans Fats
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The four types have different chemical structures and physical
properties.
The bad fats, saturated and Trans fats, tend to be more solid at room
temperature (like a stick of butter), while monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats tend to be more liquid (like liquid vegetable oil).
Fats can also have different effects on the cholesterol levels in your
body.

SATURATED FATTY ACIDS

What are Saturated Fats?
Saturated fats have a chemical makeup in
which the carbon atoms are saturated with
hydrogen atoms. Saturated fats are typically
solid at room temperature.
C : Carbon Single bond
H : Hydrogen Double bond

How do Saturated Fats affect my health?

Eating foods that contain
saturated fats increase the LDL
(bad Cholesterol), a bigger
amount, and increases HDL (Good
Cholesterol), a smaller amount,
finally result in a net increase in
the Total Cholesterol in your
blood. High levels of blood
cholesterol increase your risk of
heart disease and stroke. Be
aware, too, that many foods high in saturated fats are also high in
cholesterol – which raises your blood cholesterol even higher.

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MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (MUFA)
What are MUFAs?
From a chemical standpoint,
monounsaturated fats are simply fats that
have one double-bonded (unsaturated)
carbon in the molecule. Monounsaturated
fats are typically liquid at room temperature
but start to turn solid when chilled. Olive oil
is an example of a type of oil that contains
monounsaturated fats.
C : Carbon Single bond
H : Hydrogen Double bond
 Oleic acid is the main monounsaturated fat in our diets and
this is sometimes called Omega-9 Fatty Acid.
How do MUFAs affect my health?
Eating foods that contain MUFAs decrease
the LDL (bad Cholesterol), and decreases
HDL (Good Cholesterol), a smaller amount,
finally resulting a net decrease in the Total
Cholesterol in your blood. Therefore MUFAs can
lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
They are also typically high in vitamin E, Also a diet
which is relatively high in MUFAs may offer
improved glycaemic control for diabetics
POLY UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (PUFA)
What are PUFAs?
From a chemical standpoint, polyunsaturated fats are simply fats that
have more than one double-bonded (unsaturated) carbon in the
molecule. Polyunsaturated fats are typically liquid at room
temperature and when chilled.

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How do PUFAs my health?
Eating foods that contain PUFAs decrease the
LDL (bad Cholesterol), and increases HDL (Good
Cholesterol), finally resulting a net decrease in
the Total Cholesterol in your blood.
Therefore PUFAs can help reduce the
cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your
risk of heart disease.
They also include essential fats that your body
needs but can’t produce itself – such as
omega-6 and omega-3.
So these are the better one of all fat trypes.

ESSENTIAL FATS (EFA)

What are Essential Fats (EFA)
These Essential fatty acids are a part of the poly Unsaturated fats,
and they are categorized as like this because of
the special health benefits they have.

The body requires about twenty fatty acids in

order to live and operate. It can make all but two
of these: linolenic and linoleic. These two are
called "essential fatty acids" because they are
essential for life and health. However, the
human body cannot make these substances;
they can be supplied only by food or
supplements. EFAs occur mostly in seafood
and plant foods, with only trace amounts
found in meat.

The two most important essential fatty acids are linolenic acid (an
omega 3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega 6 fatty acid). The
omega number describes where the important carbon atom is
located on the fat molecule.
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1) Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid)
The family of omega -3 Fatty Acids includes 3 fatty acids
which are vital for Human health.
a) DHA- (Docosahexanoic acid) -
found in brain and retina of the
eye. And it is very important in
brain development, as well as
other aspects of fetal
development.
b) EPA- Eicosapentaenoic acid
c) ALA- Alpha-linolenicc acid

2) Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid)

Omega 6 acids are mainly found in seeds of plants, nuts,
vegetable oils and whole grain cereals. Especially in Soya
bean oil, canola oil. Sun flower oils are some omega 6 rich
oils

How do EFAs affect my health?

Because they have the ability to
 Lower the risk of breast and colon cancer
 Improve learning and attention span in
school-children
 Improve cognitive function in the elderly
 Elevate mood, resulting in less depression
 Lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
 Promote healthy skin
 Improve vision, especially night vision

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 WHY MY BODY NEEDS FAT ?
Fats Provide Energy - Fats are the
most efficient source of food
energy. Each gram of fat provides
nine calories of energy for the
body, compared with four calories
per gram of carbohydrates and
proteins.
Fats build healthy cells - Fats are
a vital part of the membrane that
surrounds each cell of the body.
Fats build brains - Fat provides the structural components not
only of cell membranes in the brain, but also of myelin, the fatty
insulating sheath that surrounds each nerve fiber, enabling it to
carry messages faster.
Fats help the body use vitamins - Vitamins A, D, E, and K are
fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the
intestines absorb these vitamins into the body.
Fat provides healthier skin - Fats gives the skin a rounded
appeal, as well as the layer of fat just beneath the skin (called
subcutaneous fat) acts as the body's own insulation to help
regulate body temperature
Fat forms a protective cushion for organs- Many of the
vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines are
cushioned by fat that helps protect them from injury and hold
them in place.
Fats are pleasurable - Besides being a nutritious energy
source, fat adds to the appealing taste, texture and appearance
of food. Fats carry flavor.
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 FUNCTIONS OF FATS IN PREGNANCY AND INFANCY
During the last trimester of pregnancy
child’s brain doubles in size. As our
human brain is made out of 60% fats, it is
vital that mum should get high quality
essential fats into her diet, during this
period to maintain this rapid brain
growth.

Getting good fats in the diet is also important after the baby is born.
So the Breast milk needs to be high in fats to continue this growth.
This can be fulfilled by taking DHA – a fatty
acid from omega 3 family. If mum don’t get
the omega fats from brain, the fetus will
take it from her brain resulting in problems
with focusing, concentration and memory
in Mum after the child’s birth.

Meanwhile, Babies cannot produce DHA

and they are depended on mum to get
those requirements. Therefore this leads
to a situation of loosing of her DHA supply.
Therefore taking proper omega 3
supplements by mum helps to supply the
DHA needed for child as well as maintain
her own supplies.

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 FOOD SOURCES OF FATS
SATURATED FATS
Saturated fats are commonly found in various products listed below
 Meats Products -Fatty Beef, Lamb, Pork, Poultry with Skin,
Lard
 Dairy Product- Full Fat, Milk, Cheese, Butter, Cream
 Baked Products - Pastries, Pizza, Burger, Biscuits
 Deep-Fried Foods - Potato Chips, Short eats
 Oils - Coconut oil, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel oils

 Saturated fat should be limited to 10% of calories

MONO UNSATURATED FATS (MUFA)

Significant amounts of MUFAs are found in following food types
 Fruits- Avocado, Olive fruit
 Oils- Olive oil, Canola oil
 Nuts- Hazel nuts, Cashews, Almonds Peanuts,
 Margarine Spreads- Canola or Olive Based

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 POLY UNSATURATED FATS (MUFA)
Significant amounts of MUFAs are found in following food types
 Marine Source - Fish (oily fish)
 Sea food -
 Vegetable oils - Soybean oil, Corn oil, Sunflower oil,
Safflower oil,
 Nuts – Walnuts, brazil Nuts, Seeds

ESSENTIAL FATS (EFA)

Omega-3 fatty acids - Found in both plant foods (Canola and Soy
Oils) &marine foods (Oily Fish such as
Atlantic Salmon, Mackerel, Southern
Blue Fin Tuna, Trevally and Sardines)

Omega-6 fatty acids - Found primarily in nuts, seeds & plant oils
(Corn, Soy , Safflower)

MUFAs & PUFAs, both tend to lower blood cholesterol when they
replace saturated fats in the diet. PUFAs have a slightly greater
impact than MUFAs. But unsaturated fats (mono/poly) have a lot of
calories, so you still need to limit them. 10
 CHOLESTEROL
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is
part of all animal cells. It contains
no calories, so the body cannot
derive any energy from it. But it is
essential for many of the body’s
metabolic processes. However,
there’s no need to eat foods high
in cholesterol. The body is very
good at making its own
cholesterol – You can live quite well, even better, with eating little or
no cholesterol. In fact, too much cholesterol in your diet can lead to
heart disease.

Why Cholesterol is essential?

Cholesterol is produced by the liver and also made by most cells in
the body. It is carried around in the blood by little ‘couriers’ called
lipoproteins. We need blood cholesterol because the body uses it to:
 Build the structure of cell membranes
 Make hormones like oestrogen, testosterone and adrenal
hormones
 Help your metabolism work efficiently; (for example,
cholesterol is essential for your body to produce vitamin D )
 Produce bile acids, which help the body digest fat and absorb
important nutrients.

Types of Cholesterol
There are two types of blood cholesterol:
1. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol- LDL is considered the
‘bad’ cholesterol because it contributes to the
narrowing and silting up of the arteries, which can
lead to heart disease and stroke. 11
2. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol- HDL cholesterol is
considered to be the ‘good’ cholesterol because it
actually carries cholesterol from the blood back to
the liver, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Effects of high cholesterol levels

The liver is the main processing centre for
cholesterol and dietary fat. When we eat animal fats,
the liver transports the fat, together with cholesterol
in the form of lipoproteins, into our bloodstream.
Too much cholesterol circulating within LDL in our
bloodstream leads to fatty deposits that develop in
the arteries.
This causes the vessels to narrow and they can
eventually become blocked. This can lead to heart
disease and stroke.

What to avoid?
The Basic thing is,
Any diet that raises cholesterol and LDLs and/or lowers HDL is bad.
Any diet that lowers cholesterol and/or raises HDL is good.
All foods from animals contain some cholesterol. Foods from plants
do not contain cholesterol. The cholesterol in your diet comes mainly
from eggs and from animal products that are rich in fat.
Therefore foods containing Trans Fats and Saturated fats should be
replaced with food containing Mono unsaturated Fats and Poly
unsaturated fats. So you should try to avoid:
 Fatty Meats
 Full Fat Dairy Products
 Processed Meats Like Sausages
 Snack Foods Like Chips
 Most Takeaway Foods, Especially Deep Fried Foods
 Cakes, Biscuits and Pastries.
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 TRANS FATTY ACIDS (TFAs)
What are Trans Fats?
Double bonds in unsaturated fatty acids can exist on two
configurations; the cis or the trans. When the hydrogen atoms are on
opposite sides of the carbon chain (see diagram below), the double
bond is in the trans configuration and the fat is known as a trans-
fatty acid.

C : Carbon Single bond

H : Hydrogen Double bond

Trans fats (or trans fatty acids) are created in an industrial process
that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.
Another name for trans fats is “partially hydrogenated oils." Look for
them on the ingredient list on food packages.
How do TFAs affect my health?
Eating foods that contain trans fats
decrease the LDL (bad Cholesterol),
and decreases HDL (Good
Cholesterol), finally resulting a net
decrease in the Total Cholesterol in
your blood. . So are potentially even
more damaging. Therefore Trans
fatty acids increase the risk of heart
disease strike.
It’s also associated with a higher risk
of developing type 2 diabetes.

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 How it comes to our Food?
Trans fats are rare in nature. TFAs in our diet come from two sources;
 From ruminant animals
Ruminant animals, such as cows and sheep, contain bacteria
in their rumen (part of the gastrointestinal tract), which
naturally convert cis double bonds to trans double bonds.
This means that approximately 4-7% of the fats from the
meat and milk of ruminant animals are trans fatty acids.
 During the process of partial hydrogenation.
This is done by food industry to increase the melting point of
fats. In this process, common unsaturated fatty acids are
converted to their trans equivalents. Partially hydrogenated
fats typically contain anywhere between 5% and 30% TFAs.
Fully hydrogenated oils do not contain Trans fatty acids and
are not believed to have a negative effect on health.

Which foods contain TFAs?

Especially Trans fats can be found in fried foods and baked goods.
 Fried foods - Potato chips, French Fries
 Baked Goods - Pastries, Biscuits, Pizza Dough, Cookies,
Crackers, Doughnuts
 Margarines & Shortenings

You can also spot trans fats by reading ingredient lists and looking for
the ingredients referred to as “partially hydrogenated oils.”
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 How much trans fat can I eat a day?
The recommended TFA intake amounts are no more than 5 grams a
day for men and 4 grams for women (that's 2% of our daily energy
intake). Currently, most of us are eating within the recommended
amounts A relatively small proportion of people may have a very high
intake of TFAs.These people need to take steps to cut their intake or
their health could be affected.

AVAILABILITY OF FATS IN VARIOUS PRODUCTS

This diagram shows the approximate comparison of Saturated, Mono
Unsaturated and Poly Unsaturated fat content of Some Food

0 % 20% 40% 60% 100%

Canola oil
Corn oil
Olive oil
Soybean oil

Beef
Sausages
Pork
Ham
Chicken

Cheese (Regular)
Cheese (light)
Milk (Whole)
Milk 2 %
Ice cream
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