What is Stearic Acid and what are its functions
Stearic acid is a molecule with 18 carbon atoms belonging to the category of saturated fatty acids.
Although it is a long-chain saturated fatty acid, its atherogenic power is rather low, comparable to that of short-chain fatty acids. In fact, at the liver level, stearic acid undergoes a desaturation process that transforms it into oleic acid, thanks to the intervention of the enzyme Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase.
At high concentrations, oleic acid, abundant in olive oil, can cause a slight reduction in LDL cholesterol and total, leaving the good fraction (HDL) unchanged. Therefore, when replacing an equal amount of palmitic or palmitoleic acid in the diet, stearic acid has hypocholesterolemic properties (unfortunately, however, as shown in the table, there are no foods particularly rich in stearic acid and at the same time poor in pamitic acid). To control cardiovascular risk, it is also necessary to focus on other dietary aspects (percentage of saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, total calories, intake of simple sugars, alcohol, fiber, etc.) and behavioral (physical activity, smoking, stress, etc.). ). See also: cholesterol diet.
Stearic Acid Content in Foods
| Food | Saturated fat (g) | Monounsaturated (g) | Polyunsaturated (g) | Myristic acid (g) | Palmitic acid (g) | Steraic acid (g) |
| Lard | 39.2 | 45.1 | 11.2 | 1.3 | 23.8 | 13.5 |
| Butter | 51.3 | 21 | 3.0 | 7.4 | 21.7 | 10 |
| Olive oil | 13.8 | 72.9 | 10.5 | 0 | 11.3 | 1.9 |
| Palm oil | 49.3 | 37 | 9.3 | 1 | 43.5 | 4.3 |
| Cod oil | 22.6 | 46.7 | 22.5 | 3.6 | 10.6 | 2.8 |
| Parmesan hard cheese | 16:41 | 7.5 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Dried walnuts | 1.3 | 10.4 | 42.7 | 0 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Pork sausage | 11:27 | 14.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 3.9 |
| Chicken breast without skin | 00:33 | 0.3 | 00:28 | 00:01 | 00:21 | 0.1 g |
| Chicken breast with skin | 2.66 | 3.82 | 1.96 | 00:08 | 1.95 | 00:54 |
| Mackerel | 3.3 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 2, 125 | 00:43 |
| Cream brioche | 9.4 | 4.7 | 1.1 | na | na | na |
