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.
