The diversity of fatty acids

The right choice of fatty acids is important

Fats are an important component of our diet. However, it all depends on how much and what kind of fat we consume daily. The fatty acids that make up fats play a major role here.

Fatty acids are divided into saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, omega-3 and omega-6, as well as non-essential and essential.

In this context, essential means that our body cannot produce these fatty acids itself and we have to obtain them through food.

Saturated & unsaturated fatty acids

Fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated—but what does that even mean? To get to the bottom of this question, let's take a look at the chemical structure of fatty acids.



A fatty acid is structured like a chain. The chain length of a fatty acid can vary greatly. Imagine that a line in the diagram represents a chain link. A chain can consist of, for example, just six links, but also of 20 or 30. Some chain links in the diagram consist of two lines. This means, so to speak, that these links are doubly reinforced—we have a double bond.

Saturated fatty acids have no double bond(s). If a fatty acid is monounsaturated, it has one double bond. If it is polyunsaturated, the fatty acid contains at least two double bonds.

The proportion of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids in a food influences whether a fat is liquid or solid. Typically, foods with a high saturated fatty acid content (e.g., butter) are solid at room temperature. If a food contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., olive oil), the food is liquid.


There are two polyunsaturated fatty acids that our body cannot produce itself and that we therefore must obtain from our diet. These essential fatty acids are called linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.

Since our body needs essential fatty acids for numerous structures and processes, insufficient intake can have negative consequences. For example, they are an important component of cell membranes. Inflammatory substances also consist largely of essential fatty acids. Therefore, if there are insufficient essential fatty acids, cell renewal and many other important processes in our body cannot be maintained.

Foods high in unsaturated, especially polyunsaturated, fatty acids should be prioritized when choosing foods. These fatty acids are found in many vegetable oils, nuts, and fish. Sunflower oil, soybean oil, and wheat germ oil, for example, are rich in linoleic acid. Linseed oil, hemp oil, and walnut oil are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid.

Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids

When it comes to polyunsaturated fatty acids, a distinction is also made between omega-3 and omega-6. These are two terms you may have heard of before, but you don't really know what they mean.

Here, too, we take a look at the chemical structure of an omega-3 and an omega-6 fatty acid (simplified representation):

The double bonds indicate that two polyunsaturated fatty acids are depicted. The position of the double bonds in the chain tells us whether we have an omega-3 or an omega-6 fatty acid. In the diagram, we have to start counting from the right. For omega-3 fatty acids, the first double bond is located on the third chain link from the right, and for omega-6 fatty acids, it is located on the sixth chain link from the right.



The right balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is important. Often, too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few omega-3 fatty acids are consumed. This prevents omega-3 fatty acids from fully developing their health-promoting effects and can promote the development of various diseases. For example, there is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can counteract arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and thus cardiovascular disease .

Walnuts, for example, provide a good balance between omega-3 and omega-6. Walnuts contain both linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3) in a favorable ratio of 4:1 .

If you are looking for other good sources of fat, please check out the article “The Fat in Our Food” in the app magazine.



The right choice is important

So it all depends on which fats we consume and how we combine them. We've summarized the most important points you should pay attention to here:

  • Attention should be paid to daily fat intake, as one gram of fat provides around 9 kcal.
  • Essential fatty acids must be obtained through food.
  • Foods with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids should be preferred.
  • The right ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 is important.
  • Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids should be consumed.
  • For example, walnuts, linseed oil and chia seeds are good sources of omega-3 fats, and sunflower oil, pumpkin seed oil and wheat germ oil are good sources of omega-6 fats.

Omega Oil Balance

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