Omega 3 fatty acids desk top training 3-21-07.pptVIP

a differs from ESH and Oth at p0.05; b differs from SSH and AA at p0.05 Omega-3 Fatty Acids Desktop Training March 21, 2007 Jennifer Anderson, Ph.D., R.D. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Colorado State University What is a fatty acid? Basic units that make up fat Made up of chains of C, H, and O Contains an even number of carbon atoms (usually 4 to 24) Mixtures of different fatty acids make up fat Chemical Bonds in Fats Saturated Fatty Acid Maximum possible number of H atoms attached to every C by single bonds Usually solid at room temperature Found in animal products and tropical vegetable oils Fat in cheese and meat, butter, stick margarine Trans Fatty Acid Used to increase shelf life and maintain flavor Created when liquid fats are transformed into solid fats through processes called “hydrogenation” Usually hydrogen bonds are found on the same side of a double bond in a carbon chain Hydrogenation causes hydrogen bonds to shift to different sides of the carbon chain at a double bond Unsaturated Fatty Acid A pair of missing H atoms creates a double bond between 2 C’s Usually liquid at room temperature Monounsaturated: fatty acid with one double bond Canola, olive and peanut oils Polyunsaturated: fatty acid with multiple double bonds Safflower, sunflower, corn and soybean oils Triglyceride Recommended Amounts of Fat in the Diet Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible* 10 percent of calories from saturated fat* 20-35 percent of calories from total fat* 300 mg cholesterol* Sources of Fat in Typical Diet DHA Intake is Low in U.S. Average DHA Consumption in the U.S. Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) What is it? DHA is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid It is important structural component of nerve cells in the brain and eyes and a key component of heart tissue. DHA is found naturally in breast milk What does DHA do? Numerous studies have shown DHA is important for the mental and visual development in infants. DHA is necessary for nerve