Pure curiosity, and the title is pretty much my question. I’ve noticed that nutritional labels (USA) say something like 0g of trans fat, 10g of saturated fat (50% daily value)… but then it lists the total fat as 20g and only 26% of the daily value. 50% obviously doesn’t equal 26% and 10g doesn’t equal 20g so it must mean there are way more types of fat out there than trans and saturated?
If there are other fats, why do labels not provide a breakdown of the others? Why are saturated fats special enough to be listed?
Thanks!
In: Other
There are also unsaturated fats, and you shouldn’t have the same amount of each amount of fat, which is why total fat is at 26% when saturated fats are at 50%, because you shouldn’t have too much saturated or trans fats.
Unsaturated fats have a double bond in them, making them energy dense, but they also have tails on them that point in the same direction. They can also be called cis fats (as opposed to trans fats), because they point the same direction. Picture it like a “u” shape. This u shape means they don’t stick together easily, leaving them liquid at room temperature and generally less dense. (Olive oil)
Saturated fats don’t have that double bond, but they also don’t have the u shape. Their tails point in opposite directions, like a “z” shape. This shape let’s them stick together (like layers), so they can be solid at room temperature. Since they are more dense, this is what makes them saturated. (Butter)
Trans fats have both the z shape and a double bond, so they have the extra energy and stick together, meaning a lot of energy get packed into a smaller profile. (Fryer grease)
You need fat in your diet, but that should consist of mostly unsaturated fat, but you do need saturated fats too. You don’t need trans fats at all, but when you do indulge, you should only have a little.
Latest Answers