Monounsaturated Fats (Omega-9 Fatty Acids)
- Liquid at room temperature
- One double bond in the form of two carbon atoms double-bonded to each other
- lack two hydrogen atoms
- kink or bend at the position of the double bond inhibiting packing together as easily as saturated fats
- therefore, tend to be liquid at room temperature
- Common Fatty Acids
- Oleic acid (18:1, Omega-9) is most common monounsaturated fat in food
- Palmitoleic acid (16:1, Omega-7)
- Cis-vaccenic acid (18:1, Omega-7)
- Erucic acid (22:1, Omega-9)
- Sources
- Olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil
- Nuts, peanut butter, seeds, avocados, olives
- Meats and whole milk.
- See Exchange List and Comparison of Fats
- Preferred in the diet
- Can lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and maintain HDL (good cholesterol) if substituted for saturated fat
- Stability
- Oxidative rancidity can occur wherever there is a double bond
- Monounsaturated fatty acids are resistant to heat-induced degradation, unlike Polyunsaturated fats (Grootveld 2001, Halvorsen 2011)
- Also see Smoke Point.
References
Grootveld M, Silwood CJL, Addis P, Claxson A, Serra BB, Viana M (2001). "Health effects of oxidized heated oils". Foodservice Research International 13: 41–55.
Halvorsen BL, Blomhoff R (2011). Determination of lipid oxidation products in vegetable oils and marine omega-3 supplements. Food Nutr Res. 2011;55. doi: 10.3402/fnr.v55i0.5792.
