Nutrition expert: Each saturated fatty acid has specific functionalities

Each saturated fatty acid (SFA) has specific functionalities and should be evaluated as such, said nutrition expert Professor Philippe Legrand.

Prof. Legrand spoke at the 11th European Nutrition Conference in Madrid, Spain, after his presentation at the IDF World Dairy Summit in Parma, Italy. His current research focuses on specific traits of saturated fatty acids (SFA), showing that even long chain SFA such as lauric acid (C12:0), myristic acid (C14:0), and palmitic acid (C16:0) have important functions in our body.

"The real issue is the issue of intake. We need a better understanding of the effects of a moderate consumption of C12:0, C14:0 and C16:0. The available controlled trials too often have only evaluated extreme intakes of these fatty acids, and thus do not reflect normal dietary intake. We need more studies with moderate intake levels to evaluate when and how C12, C14 and C16 fatty acids can be deleterious" Pr. Legrand explained.

"A detailed analysis of specific functionalities of each SFA is crucial and SFAs can't be studied as one indivisible group. This was underlined in the recent guidelines published by the French Food Safety Agency (ANSES), a very positive step forward."

This research will ultimately help consumers to identify dairy foods as part of a healthy and balanced diet.