Health Effects of Short‐Chain, Medium‐Chain, and Long‐Chain Fatty Acids, Saturated Vs Unsaturated and Omega‐6 Vs Omega‐3 Fatty Acids and Trans Fats

Abstract

Increasing attention has been paid to the role of fats and oils in modern diet during recent decades due to their high caloric contribution and health issues associated with increasing concern of obesity. Growing evidence indicates that in addition to the known functions, according to the length and degree of unsaturation of hydrocarbon chains, different fatty acid species also exert a wide spectrum of critical functions in physiological activities. Fatty acids have moved from speculation about their functions to solid evidence that they are not only essential nutrients but may also modulate many human diseases and conditions. In this article, we compare different fatty acid species by chain length, degree of unsaturation, and configuration, comprehensively providing their effect on human health.