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What Are Unsaturated Lipids?

Chemically speaking, lipids (also known as fats) are long chains of carbon molecules that are bonded together with hydrogen. Fats can be unsaturated or saturated. Which type of fat depends on the arrangement of the carbon molecules with respect to the hydrogen molecules. Saturated fats are fats that are "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. Many of the carbon molecules in unsaturated fats are unoccupied by hydrogen.

  1. Caloric Value

    • Unsaturated fats, because they do not have the hydrogen bonds within them, contain less energy. This means they have slightly fewer calories than saturated fats. However, all fats are high in calories, so a low-fat diet is best if you are trying to lose weight.

    Vegetable Sources

    • Unsaturated fats are those fats that are found in vegetables, including corn and canola oils as well as nuts, soy and flax. These fats, while not low in calories, are better for you healthwise. Saturated fats, conversely, are those that are found in animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs. A diet of saturated fats is typically associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

    Meat Sources

    • Meats that contain unsaturated fats are usually fish. Tuna, herring, sardines and salmon are all particularly high in unsaturated fats and are considered to be heart-healthy because of their high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (which are essential to metabolism and not created within the human body).

    Physical Properties

    • Unsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature. Vegetable oil is an unsaturated fat and is liquid at room temperature, and so are nut oils (such as walnut oil). Saturated fats are solid to semi-solid at room temperature. Bacon grease, butter and cheese contain saturated fats that are solid at room temperature.

    Health Value

    • Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are types of unsaturated fats. Diets high in both of these types of fats are associated with good cholesterol levels and are considered part of a heart healthy diet. Although only 25-35 percent of your diet should come from fat, most of the fat (18-28 percent of your diet) should be unsaturated--specifically polyunsaturated and monounsaturated--fats.

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