Saturated Fatty Acids
Saturated fatty acids are fatty acids with no double bonds (see fatty acids for a visual image of a saturated fatty acid). They are not essential for human metabolic processes but provide energy or are deposited in fat depots.
Saturated fatty acids are the primary and most potent determinants of blood cholesterol, acting to increase it. They predictably raise total serum cholesterol levels and LDL-C levels. These fatty acids stimulate the liver to make more LDL-C and decrease LDL receptors in the liver. Reducing saturated fat in the diet has the greatest impact on lowering LDL cholesterol levels. High saturated fatty acid intake and high LDL cholesterol concentrations move together.
The major food sources of saturated fats are animal fats, such as red meats (beef, pork, veal, lamb, ham) and whole milk dairy products (milk, butter, ice cream, hard cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt). Chicken and turkey (prepared skinless) contain less saturated fat, and the saturated fat that they do have resides mostly in the skin. The plant oils that are high in saturated fat are palm oil, coconut oil, and palm kernel oil (tropical oils.)
Some saturated fats are more atherogenic than others. The specific fatty acids that raise LDL-cholesterol the most are myristic (C14:0) and lauric (C12:0) found in butterfat and in tropical oils (coconut and palm kernel oil). Palmitic acid (C16:0), the most prevalent fatty acid in the food supply, raises LDL-C levels in most studies. Stearic acid (C18:0) the next most prevalent does not raise or lower LDL-C. However, it appears to stimulate blood clotting.
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