What Are Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs)?
Fats come in many different chemical forms, including monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Though all fats supply nine calories, some are still considered more healthy than others. One of those healthy fats in polyunsaturated fat. What is Polyunsaturated Fat? First let’s understand what a fat molecule is. On a microscopic level, a fat molecule is a chain of carbon atoms. On each little link of this chain, there is attached a hydrogen atom. If every chain link holds a hydrogen, it is a saturated fat, the kind you are often told to avoid. These fats, like butter and lard, are solid at room temperature. If some of the links are missing their hydrogen, and instead have a double-bonded carbon, they are unsaturated, that is, not packed full of hydrogen. These fats are liquid at room temperature, such as oil. If the have only one double bond, they are monounsaturated. If they have more than one double bond, they are polyunsaturated. Are Polyunsaturated Fats Healthy? There is a great
