unsaturated+fat

__Unsaturated Fat__ An unsaturated fat is a fatty acid that has at least one double bond between carbons within the chain. Unsaturated fats can lower one's overall cholesterol compared to saturated fats. Foods containing unsaturated fats are avacados, nuts, and vegetable oils.

A fat [|molecule] is [|monounsaturated] if it contains one double bond, and [|polyunsaturated] if it contains more than one double bond. Where double bonds are formed, [|hydrogen] [|atoms] are eliminated. Thus, a [|saturated fat] has no double bonds, has the maximum number of hydrogens bonded to the carbons, and therefore is "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. In cellular [|metabolism], unsaturated fat molecules contain somewhat less energy (i.e., fewer [|calories]) than an equivalent amount of saturated fat. The greater the degree of unsaturation in a fatty acid (i.e., the more double bonds in the fatty acid) the more vulnerable it is to [|lipid peroxidation] ([|rancidity]). [|Antioxidants] can protect unsaturated fat from lipid peroxidation.