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Nutrition & Dietetics vocabulary · Macronutrients and Water

Unsaturated fat

Meaning in nutrition & dietetics, with examples

nounCommon term

In nutrition & dietetics, unsaturated fat means: A type of fat with one or more double bonds in its fatty acids, usually liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are its two main groups.

In Turkish: doymamış yağ

How it is used

Often called 'healthy fats' in public messages. Olive oil and hazelnuts are rich in monounsaturated fat (MUFA), while sunflower oil, walnuts and oily fish provide polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). These abbreviations are common in papers and reports.

Example sentences

  1. Hazelnuts are a good source of unsaturated fat, especially oleic acid.

  2. The new menu uses olive oil and other unsaturated fats instead of butter.

Common collocations

  • monounsaturated fat
  • polyunsaturated fat
  • source of unsaturated fat
  • healthy fats
  • saturated fatA type of fat whose fatty acids have no double bonds. It is found mainly in butter, fatty meat, cheese, coconut oil and palm oil, and is usually solid at room temperature.
  • omega-3 fatty acidsA family of polyunsaturated fats, including ALA from plants and EPA and DHA from oily fish, that the body needs for the heart, brain and eyes.
  • fatA macronutrient that gives the body concentrated energy, about 9 kcal per gram, and helps it absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. The word also means the fat tissue stored in the body.
  • Mediterranean dietA traditional eating pattern of countries around the Mediterranean, rich in vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and fish, with moderate dairy and little red meat.

More terms: Macronutrients and Water

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.