Anthony
03-14-2001, 06:00 PM
Basically, I'm curious about polyunsaturated fat and superpolyunsaturated fat. Can someone can explain how to determine the amount of superpolyunsaturated fat in foods? Does the amount of polyunsaturated on the label include small amounts of superpolyunsaturated and they just lump them together? I'm interested in the amount of superpolyunsaturated fat in natural peanut butter and eggs (if any).
Now, here's the descriptions of good fats:
Monounsaturated fatty acids have a single "kink" in their molecular strand. This kink makes them more fluid and more reactive than the unsaturated fats. Olive and canola oils are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids; you may have noticed that these oils get thick when you refrigerate them, but they return to fluidity at room temperature.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two kinks, which makes them even more reactive molecules. Safflower and corn oils are wellknown polyunsaturated oils. Both deserve careful handling to prevent rancidity.
Superpolyunsaturated fatty acids are molecules with three kinks. These fats are rare and carry the most essential fatty acid nutrients. They are found mostly in fish tissue and in the seeds of the black currant, evening primrose, and flax plants. Supersuperunsaturated oils are fluid at even very cold temperatures and react "firecracker" fast with oxygen. They must be carefully protected to preserve their nutritive qualities.
(PS - those descriptions were copied off the web, not my words).
Now, here's the descriptions of good fats:
Monounsaturated fatty acids have a single "kink" in their molecular strand. This kink makes them more fluid and more reactive than the unsaturated fats. Olive and canola oils are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids; you may have noticed that these oils get thick when you refrigerate them, but they return to fluidity at room temperature.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two kinks, which makes them even more reactive molecules. Safflower and corn oils are wellknown polyunsaturated oils. Both deserve careful handling to prevent rancidity.
Superpolyunsaturated fatty acids are molecules with three kinks. These fats are rare and carry the most essential fatty acid nutrients. They are found mostly in fish tissue and in the seeds of the black currant, evening primrose, and flax plants. Supersuperunsaturated oils are fluid at even very cold temperatures and react "firecracker" fast with oxygen. They must be carefully protected to preserve their nutritive qualities.
(PS - those descriptions were copied off the web, not my words).