Ch 5: Hard Fats & Saturated Fatty Acids
Another useful chapter for me where he breaks down SaFAs describing them as the simplest Fatty Acids, and explains that these molecules range from 4-28 carbon atoms long, straight, no kinks, slow to react with other chemicals.
He then explains there melting points (important for cooking) and then breaks them into the following groups:
Short-Chain SaFAs: (4-6 carbons long), make up less than 10% of FAs found in butter and milk fat. And also in coconut and palm kernels.
Upto 8 carbons they are liquid at room temp. Upto 10, liquid at BODY temp, above 10 they are solid at body temp. Body uses upto 12 carbon chains mainly for energy.
Med-Chain SaFAs:
6-12 carbon atoms. Body metabolises same way as short-chain. Produces energy, does NOT store as fat and so used as med-chain triglycerides in diets of people with digestive and liver problems.
Long-Chain SaFAs:
Cells use these to build membranes.
Solid at body temp.
Insoluble in water. He describes them as losing major health risks related to human nutrition. Sticky playlets that can readily firm blood clots. I am not sure some of our knowledgable contributors would agree with this based in more recent research?
He states, these are found in beef, pork, mutton, dairy etc
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