265 Virgin Olive Oil Benefits thus contributing to overweight and obesity. According to World Health Organization recommendations, caloric intake should be balanced with energy expenditure. To avoid unhealthy weight gain, fat intake should not exceed 25–30% of total caloric intake. Of this, 15–20% should be monounsaturated fat, less than 7–8% saturated fat, and cholesterol intake should be kept below 300 mg/day. Around 5% polyunsaturated fat (omega-3 and omega-6). The recommended healthy ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fats is approximately 1 (ϖ-3) : 1-4 (ϖ-6). In short, total fat consumption should be moderated, especially saturated fat, which is found primarily in animal-based foods. Monounsaturated fat should be the main type consumed (olive oils are rich in this type of fat), and its intake may exceed recommended levels as long as other types of fat are reduced, in order to avoid increasing overall caloric intake while ensuring a minimum supply of essential fatty acids. These recommendations should be part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. - lipidic Pertaining to or related to lipids. • CONCEPTS ………………………………………………………………………………………… - fatty acids Fatty acids are biological molecules of lipid nature, widely present in living organisms, and form an essential part of most fats and oils found in nature. Their chemical structure consists of a linear hydrocarbon chain (carbons -C- and hydrogens -H-) which may vary in length depending on the number of carbon atoms, and which has at one end a carboxyl group (an oxygen with a double bond to a carbon atom that is also attached to a hydroxyl group -OH-, -see Carboxylation-). This carboxyl group makes it a weak acid. A general and important feature is that fatty acids found in natural lipids of animal or plant origin almost always contain an even number of carbon atoms. Fatty acids are mainly found combined with other molecules (glycerol, phosphate, shortchain alcohols, or cholesterol) to form glycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol esters. In their free form, they exist only in very small amounts. According to their chemical nature, fatty acids are divided into saturated (with no double bonds in the molecule) and unsaturated (with one or more double bonds). Examples: SATURATED: palmitic acid (C16H32O2) (C16:0) UNSATURATED: Monounsaturated (only 1 double bond): Oleic acid (C18H34O2) (C18:1 ω-9) H H H H H H H H H H H H H H 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ,...o Hc-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 'oH H H H H H H H H H H H H H H HHHHHHHH HHHHHHHH 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ,...o -c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c=c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 'oH HHHHHHH HHHHHHH
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