Are MUFA (mono unsaturated fatty acids) non-essential fatty acids? If yes, then why?
1 Answer
MUFAs are all non-essential fatty acids, as are most fatty acids
Explanation:
An essential nutrient is one that the body cannot make itself, which is required for normal biological function... in this case, essential fatty acids are fatty acids that must be taken in from other sources (food) in order for the body to stay in good health.
For humans, there are only two fatty acids that are considered essential: linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid. These are both polyunsaturated fatty acids... when we refer to a fatty acid as "unsaturated", we're talking about the number of double bonds in the carbon chain of the fatty acid. Monounsaturated fatty acids have only a single double bond. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have more than one. Saturated fatty acids have none.
So, since there are only two essential fatty acids, and they're both polyunsaturated fatty acids, we can safely say that MUFAs are non-essential.
