Saturated Fat
Vitamins A, D, E & K are fats.
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Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fats
You may have heard the terms saturated and unsaturated fat. This simply refers to the structure of the fat. All fats contain long chains of carbon atoms. These carbon atoms may be linked together by either a single or a double bond as represented below. Unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds that give them chemical properties that are very useful to the body.
It is an oversimplification to say unsaturated fats are the good fats and saturated are the bad fats, but there is some truth to it; the body utilizes the curved structure of unsaturated fats to a) form pathways in and out of cells, and b) to transmit electric impulses. Double bonds (cis) have a slight charge where single bonds and straightened (trans) double bonds do not.1 Fats with no double bonds are called saturated and are straight.
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Double-bond Configuration
Trans-fatty acids have straightened double bonds and thus act like saturated fat.
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