What is the differnce between saturated and unsaturated fats?

Answer 1

Saturated fat: is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. non-saturated: fat is a fat or fatty acid in which there are one or more double bonds in the fatty acid chain. A fat molecule is monounsaturated if it contains one double bond, and polyunsaturated if it contains more than one double bond.

Answer 2

Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acid radicals. There are several kinds of naturally-occurring saturated fatty acids, which differ by the number of carbon atoms, from 3 through 35. Saturatedfatty acids have no double bonds between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain and are thus fully saturated with hydrogen atoms. Fat that occurs naturally in living matter contains varying proportions of saturated and unsaturated fat. Examples of foods containing a high proportion of saturated fat include dairy products (especially cream and cheese but also butter and ghee), animal fats such as suet, tallow, lard and fatty meat, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, chocolate, and some prepared foods[1]. Serum saturated fatty acid is generally higher in smokers, alcohol drinkers and obese people. An unsaturated fat is a fat or fatty acid in which there are one or more double bonds in the fatty acid chain. A fat molecule is monounsaturated if it contains one double bond, and polyunsaturated if it contains more than one double bond. Where double bonds are formed, hydrogen atoms are eliminated. Thus, a saturated fat is "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. In cellular metabolism hydrogen-carbon bonds are broken down - or oxidized - to produce energy, thus an unsaturated fat molecule contains somewhat less energy (i.e fewer calories) than a comparable sized saturated fat. The greater the degree of unsaturation in a fatty acid (ie, the more double bonds in the fatty acid), the more vulnerable it is to lipid peroxidation (rancidity). Antioxidants can protect unsaturated fat from lipid peroxidation. Unsaturated fats also have a more enlarged shape than saturated fats. Thus , saturated fats are more harmful than unsaturated fats .

Answer 3

Saturated fats are from animals and are not organic. They can raise cholesterol. Saturated are unhealthy.Unsaturated fats are liquid and from plants. Most importantly they are healthy.

Answer 4

A molecule of saturated fat has no double-bonds between carbon atoms. This means that the maximum number of hydrogens are attached to the carbon chain, and so the molecule is "saturated" with hydrogen. Unsaturated fats have one or more double-bonds between carbon atoms, and thus have fewer hydrogen atoms. Molecules with one double-bond are "monounsaturated", and molecules with more than one are "polyunsaturated".

Answer 5

There are 3 types of fatty acids found in most cooking oils, butter, and margarines saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The degree of saturation is the most important factor for the stability when heated.

• Saturated fats: have single bounds in their molecular stucture, making them stable when exposed to heat and light. Oils with high percentages of saturated fats are therefore best for cooking. (ex. coconut oil, ghee, or grass fedd butter)
• Monounsaturated fats have one double bound in their molecule. It are those double bounds that make the fatty acids reactive and sensitive for heat and light. Although monounsaturated fatty acids contain a double bound they are still relatively stable, making them a fair choice for cooking. (ex olive oil)
• Polyunsaturated fats have 2 or more of those double bounds, making them the most reactive and sensitive for heat and light. These oils should never be used for cooking. (ex canola, soy, grapeseed, safflower, sunflower, and seseame oil)

So.. oils that contain high percentages of saturated and/or monounsaturated fats are far better than oils with a high percentage of polyunsaturated fats.

Answer 6

For Saturated fats all the bonds between carbons (alkanes) are single bonds , and cannot absorb more hydrogen.

For Unsatruatred fats some of the bonds between some of the carbons are double (alkene) or triple(alkyne) bonds. Beinf double/triple bonds they can break open and combine with (absorb) more hydrogen, and hence asre sid to be unsaturated.

Answer 7

The major difference between saturated and unsaturated fats is in their bond composition. Saturated fasts has a single bond while unsaturated have several bonds between the carbon atoms.

Answer 8

Saturated is BAD. It will clog up your arteries. Unsaturated fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated are good for you because they raise your good cholesterol and lower the bad kind.