Definition of saturated fatty acids
Updated March 10, 2015.
Definition: Saturated fatty acids (SFA) are fatty acids in which the carbon chain consists entirely of single bonds. (Carbon atoms can bind together by either single or double bonds.) In the diet, SFA are found mainly in animal products, but are also present in certain plant foods, especially coconut and palm oils.
Eating foods containing SFA has long been thought to be unhealthy, because it increases LDL cholesterol levels.
However, this negative effect of SFA is mitigated by its effect in increasing HDL levels, reducing triglyceride levels, and increasing the size of LDL particles. Recent clinical studies have suggested that SFA may not have much of a negative impact on cardiovascular disease after all. This question, however, remains an area of controversy among nutrition experts.
Definition: Saturated fatty acids (SFA) are fatty acids in which the carbon chain consists entirely of single bonds. (Carbon atoms can bind together by either single or double bonds.) In the diet, SFA are found mainly in animal products, but are also present in certain plant foods, especially coconut and palm oils.
Eating foods containing SFA has long been thought to be unhealthy, because it increases LDL cholesterol levels.
However, this negative effect of SFA is mitigated by its effect in increasing HDL levels, reducing triglyceride levels, and increasing the size of LDL particles. Recent clinical studies have suggested that SFA may not have much of a negative impact on cardiovascular disease after all. This question, however, remains an area of controversy among nutrition experts.
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