In this post I will discuss a class of organic compounds, possibly the most controversial organic compounds in the history of mankind. Most saturated fats raise total, LDL, and HDL levels compared with an isocaloric amount of carbohydrate, but some raise HDL disproportionately while others raise both LDL and HDL. The effects of saturated fats on lipoprotein levels are thought to affect the rate of coronary heart disease. All saturated fats are organic acids whose chains of carbons are linked exclusively by single bonds. (Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats include double bonds.) The only difference between these compounds are the number of carbons per chain.
For those of you unfamiliar with the shorthand notation of organic compounds, chemists tend to leave off the hydrogens and draw the carbon chains as zigzags. For example, the four empty vertices on the butyric acid molecule below are carbons, and each carbon has enough hydrogens attached to it to reach four bonds total.
Here are some saturated fats:
Acetic acid (HC2H3O2)
For those of you unfamiliar with the shorthand notation of organic compounds, chemists tend to leave off the hydrogens and draw the carbon chains as zigzags. For example, the four empty vertices on the butyric acid molecule below are carbons, and each carbon has enough hydrogens attached to it to reach four bonds total.
Here are some saturated fats:
Acetic acid (HC2H3O2)
Acetic acid is the acid that flavors vinegar, with a unpublicized similarity to the saturated fats. As far as I know, no one has implicated it in the pathology of cardiovascular disease. This may be because none of us consume enough of it to matter: according to Nutritiondata.com, distilled vinegar has only 3 calories per tablespoon. Other vinegars have more calories, because of small quantities of natural sugars remaining in the vinegar.
Health benefits of acetic acid include reducing the glycemic index of foods and possibly increasing mineral absorption.
Butyric acid (HC4H7O2)
Health benefits of acetic acid include reducing the glycemic index of foods and possibly increasing mineral absorption.
Butyric acid (HC4H7O2)
Add two carbons to acetic acid to get butyric acid. Butyric acid is the second-smallest molecule to be officially called a fat, despite the fact that it is soluble in water. (The smaller fat is propanoic acid, which is identical to butyric acid except with one fewer carbon). Therefore, it is considered a short-chain fat. It can be dangerous when pure, but in small quantities it has some health benefits. I've always found it ironic that many of the health benefits of fiber come from the fact that your gut bacteria converts fiber into butyrate, which is then absorbed into the body. Butyrate production has been linked to the prevention of colon cancer, better absorption of minerals, and improvements in insulin sensitivity, among other things. It is also found in butter, hence the name, but it's unclear how many benefits derive from its direct consumption.
Lauric acid (HC12H23O2)
Lauric acid (HC12H23O2)
Lauric acid is the medium-chain fat responsible for the much-touted benefits of coconut oil. (Coconut oil is a little more than half lauric acid). Like other shorter chain fats, lauric acid is liquid at room temperature and has slightly fewer calories per gram than long-chain fats. Similar to its shorter cousins, lauric acid is also highly ketogenic. Ketones are special compounds that the liver produces either from short- and medium-chain fats or from long-chain fats when the body runs out of glucose (i.e., during fasting or very-low-carbohydrate dieting). A diet that raises ketone production is called a ketogenic diet. Some neurologic conditions improve on a ketogenic diet, including epilepsy and perhaps Alzheimer's disease. Lauric acid is cited by this meta-analysis as being the most hypercholesterolemic fatty acid, but since most of the increase is in HDL cholesterol, it is also the most effective fatty acid to decrease the ratio between total and HDL cholesterol. Lower ratios are thought to correlate with lower rates of coronary heart disease.
Palmitic acid (HC16H31O2)
Palmitic acid (HC16H31O2)
Source here.
Palmitic acid is the primary form of saturated fat found in nature. It is also the human body's preferred storage fat, and the body will convert half of dietary carbohydrate in excess of 40% of calories to palmitic acid, while also increasing glucose metabolism to burn more glucose and less fat than on a diet containing 40% carbohydrate. Interestingly, this means that above 40% carbohydrate, eating an isocaloric amount of beef tallow will mean that your cells see the same amount of saturated fat as if you ate pure carbohydrate, since beef tallow is about 50% saturated fat. If you eat the beef tallow, you will also get a significant amount of stearic and oleic acids, which are health-promoting. (Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat, so it will be discussed in an upcoming post about monounsaturated fats.)
Compared to carbohydrate, palmitic acid increases total cholesterol, while maintaining the same ratio of total to HDL cholesterol.
Stearic acid (HC18H35O2)
Palmitic acid is the primary form of saturated fat found in nature. It is also the human body's preferred storage fat, and the body will convert half of dietary carbohydrate in excess of 40% of calories to palmitic acid, while also increasing glucose metabolism to burn more glucose and less fat than on a diet containing 40% carbohydrate. Interestingly, this means that above 40% carbohydrate, eating an isocaloric amount of beef tallow will mean that your cells see the same amount of saturated fat as if you ate pure carbohydrate, since beef tallow is about 50% saturated fat. If you eat the beef tallow, you will also get a significant amount of stearic and oleic acids, which are health-promoting. (Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat, so it will be discussed in an upcoming post about monounsaturated fats.)
Compared to carbohydrate, palmitic acid increases total cholesterol, while maintaining the same ratio of total to HDL cholesterol.
Stearic acid (HC18H35O2)
Stearic acid is interesting because, unlike other saturated fats, it actually lowers LDL levels compared to carbohydrate, while raising HDL levels. Its effect on blood lipids is very similar to oleic acid, the famous monounsaturated fat of olive and macadamia oil. It may be one of the reasons that chocolate has a strong cardioprotective effect. (Other theories for chocolate's protective effect center on the effects of natural antioxidant compounds, and the high levels of copper and magnesium in chocolate.)
Grass-fed beef has a more favorable lipid profile than grain-fed beef. Among the benefits are more stearic acid and less palmitic acid. Shea butter is also rich in stearic acid.
Disclaimer: none of these images is my own work. Where required, I have attributed them to their authors by means of links beneath the images.
Grass-fed beef has a more favorable lipid profile than grain-fed beef. Among the benefits are more stearic acid and less palmitic acid. Shea butter is also rich in stearic acid.
Disclaimer: none of these images is my own work. Where required, I have attributed them to their authors by means of links beneath the images.