Saturated fatty acid of stearic acid

Stearic acid is one of the most common long-chain fatty acids, found in combined form in vegetable fats. In nature stearic acid occurs primarily as a mixed triglyceride, or fat, with other long-chain acids and as an ester of a fatty alcohol.

It has a low level of intestinal absorption and its intake does not negatively modify the lipid profile. For this reason, it is considered a “neutral” fatty acid with regard to cardiovascular health. Stearic acid is much less common than palmitic acid.

Stearic acid is found primarily as a glyceride in animal fats and oils; lard and tallow contain approximately 10 and 20% stearic acid, respectively. Most vegetable oils contain 1-5% stearic acid; cocoa butter contains about 35%.

Stearic acid is mainly used in the production of detergents, soaps, and cosmetics such as shampoos and shaving cream products. Esters of stearic acid are used to produce a pearly effect in shampoos, soaps, and other cosmetic products.
Saturated fatty acid of stearic acid

Defintion of fatty acids

Fatty Acids
The fatty acids, the simplest of the lipids, are defined as monocarboxylic acids that tend to be more soluble in organic solvents than in water.

The molecule consists of a polar carboxyl group that is soluble in water and non polar hydrocarbon chain that is insoluble in water but soluble in the common organic solvents.

The solubility of fatty acids in water therefore is fairly high for those of low chain length but decreases markedly as chain length increases.

Some naturally occurring saturated fatty acids:
Butyric
Caproic
Caprylic
Capric
Lauric
Myristic
Palmitic
Stearic
Arachidic
Behedic
Lignoceric

Same naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids:
Monoenoic: Palmitoleic, Oleic
Dienoic: Linoleic
Trienoic: Linolenic
Tetraenoic: Arachidonic

Palmitic acid and stearic acid are by far the most commonly occurring and widely distributed of the saturated fatty acids whereas oleic acid and linolenic acid are the most prevalent of the unsaturated.

These four fatty acids account for over 90% of the fatty acids in the average American diet. Fatty acids of shorter chain length are for the most part minor constituents of plants and animal fats.

However, butyric acid and myristic acid occur in milk fat in large amounts and about 60% of the fatty acid in coconut oil consists of lauric acid and fatty acids of shorter chain length.
Defintion of fatty acids

Saturated fatty acid and cardiovascular disease

The source of saturated fatty acids in human diet are mainly derived from animal products, oils used for cooking or ready-cooked meals from the food industry.

It also come from home cooking fats such as lard, hard margarines.

Saturated fatty acids have been positively correlated with the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in many epidemiological studies.

Saturated fatty acid with intermediate chain lengths – lauric, mytristic, and palmitic acids increase plasma cholesterol concentration whereas short chain fatty acids and stearic acid results in little or change in plasma cholesterol concentrations.

The higher level of serum total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in turn lead to atherosclerosis and increased the risk of coronary heart disease.

The American Heart Association and the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommend that the daily overall fat consumption comprises 25% to 35% of the diet’s daily energy content.

Of this intake, less than 7% should come from saturated fats and the rest be divided equally between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Saturated fatty acid and cardiovascular disease