Saturated and Unsaturated Fats: What are the Differences and Why Should You Care?

The concept of saturated and unsaturated fats are vital in determining quickly whether or not a certain type of fat or oil is healthy. The term “saturation” actually refers to the number of double bonds and hydrogen atoms attached to a fatty acid chain.

For example, when the fatty acid has the maximum number of hydrogen atoms attached, it’s “saturated” with hydrogen. The result is a linear (straight chain) fatty acid that can pack together easily.

On the other side of the coin, when the chain has fewer than the maximum number of hydrogen atoms, it’s termed “unsaturated” and is bent due to the presence of natural double bonds in a configuration known as cis.

This bent structure allows unsaturated fats to be more fluid-like at normal body temperature. On the other hand, saturated fats are linear and more solid at normal body temperature. The result? Unsaturated fats can be gotten rid of much more quickly!

Easy, right? Right!

Now that you understand the saturation of fats, let’s take this a little farther with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

These terms simply indicate the presence of a single (mono-) or more than one (poly-) double bond. Polyunsaturated fats are generally more fluid-like than monounsaturated fats because they contain more double bonds.

It’s recommended that about 30% of the calories in your diet come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. This does not mean, however, that 30% of what you eat should be fat. No! Fats actually store more than twice the energy of the other macronutrients (namely proteins and carbohydrates).

The different proportions of these different types of fats also correlate with "bad" cholesterol levels, namely LDL. As a simple guide, saturated fats result in increased LDL while unsaturated fats may lower LDL levels (monounsaturated fats are best for lowering LDL levels).

Remember that extremely low-fat diets can be very detrimental. Everything should be done in moderation. For example, instead of eliminating fat from your diet, simply switch over to eating mostly mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Again, everything must be in moderation!!

Here’s a small chart outlining some foods containing saturated and unsaturated fats.