5.12: Triglycerides
- Page ID
- 63613
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When we speak of fatty foods or “getting fat,” we’re talking about triglycerides. Body fat is triglycerides, as is about 95% of fat in food. A triglyceride is made of three fatty acids attached to a backbone of glycerol (Figure 5.2). Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated describe the fatty acids in the triglycerides. Triglycerides from various foods don’t have just one kind of fatty acid, but have a variety (Table 5-3).
Typically, fat from plants (vegetable oil) is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. But olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, and coconut and palm oils (tropical oils) and cocoa butter are rich in saturated fatty acids. Most animal fats are rich in saturated fat. But fat from fish and poultry is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.