Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: doglet on 09/05/2005 14:03:54

Title: Why are saturated fats bad for you, and how much energy do they contain?
Post by: doglet on 09/05/2005 14:03:54

AS biology student here.

Why exactly are saturated fats  bad for you? And why do they produce more energy than unsaturated? I don't know the link between saturation and energy.

Thank you.



WT

Title: Why are saturated fats bad for you, and how much energy do they contain?
Post by: Sid on 02/08/2008 14:50:11

The saturated fat has much more energy than other edible compounds and its the way they bond that effects the them. As from the name saturated you can imagine it means strong or dense.

"Fats are molecules made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The type of fat depends upon the arrangement of these atoms within the molecule. If the carbon atoms have a single bond between them and as many hydrogen atoms as possible are bonded to the carbon atoms, then the fat is said to be saturated." - http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/science10/unitc/fats.html

Title: Why are saturated fats bad for you, and how much energy do they contain?
Post by: Bored chemist on 02/08/2008 19:49:20

Sid's wrong.
There's esentially no difference between the calorie (or energy) content of saturated and unsaturated fats. Any fat, saturated or not, has roughly 2 or 3 times the energy content of carbohydrate or protein.