Difference Between MUFA and PUFA

Key Difference – MUFA vs PUFA
 

Fat is also known as lipid. It is an organic molecule and is one of the three macronutrients. It is composed of three fatty acid molecules attached to a central glycerol molecule. Hence, the fat molecule is also known as a triglyceride. Fats are a necessary component of our diet. Fat can be two types namely saturated fats and unsaturated fats depending on the way that hydrogen atoms are linked to carbon atoms in the fatty acid chains. Saturated fats do not have double bonded carbon molecules in their fatty acid chain. Unsaturated fats contain one or more double bonded carbon molecules in their fatty acid chains. Unsaturated fats are two types; monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). MUFA contains one double bond in the fatty acid chain of the fat molecule. PUFA contains two or multiple double bonds in the fatty acid chain. This is the key difference between MUFA and PUFA. Both MUFA and PUFA are healthy fats since they lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and blood cholesterol.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is MUFA
3. What is PUFA
4. Similarities Between MUFA and PUFA
5. Side by Side Comparison – MUFA vs PUFA in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is MUFA?

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), as the name suggests, are unsaturated fatty acids that contain one (mono) double bonded carbon atom in the fatty acid chain. MUFAs are missing with one pair of hydrogen atoms from the fatty acid chain. MUFAs are considered as healthy fats since they can lower the blood cholesterol level and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes. They remain as liquids at room temperature. MUFAs are rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant, necessary to keep our body healthy by protecting cell damages.

MUFAs are found in food sources such as vegetable oils, olive oils, peanuts, avocado, seeds, sesame, sunflower etc. Oleic acid is an example for MUFA.

What is PUFA?

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are a type of unsaturated fatty acids that contain two or more double bonded carbon atoms in the fatty acid chain. Hence, more than one pair of hydrogen atoms is missing in PUFAs. However since PUFA are unsaturated fatty acids, they are beneficial fats similar to MUFAs.

PUFAs are also potential fats that reduce the blood cholesterol thereby, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes. PUFA are liquids at room temperature. These fats are found in soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, salmon, trout, sunflower seeds, fish, meat, etc.

What are the Similarities Between MUFA and PUFA?

• Both MUFA and PUFA are unsaturated fatty acids.
• Both MUFA and PUFA are beneficial fats than saturated fats.
• Both MUFA and PUFA are important fat in our dietary intake.
• Both MUFA and PUFA provide the same amount of calories (9 calories per gram).
• Both MUFA and PUFA can lower the LDL cholesterol.
• Both MUFA and PUFA are liquids at room temperature.
• Both MUFA and PUFA are healthy fats that reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

What is the Difference Between MUFA and PUFA?

Summary – MUFA vs PUFA 

Unsaturated fatty acids are considered as beneficial fats that include our diets. They are two main types; MUFA and PUFA. MUFAs are unsaturated fatty acids that contain only one carbon=carbon double bond in the fatty acid chain. PUFAs are unsaturated fatty acids with two or multiple carbon=carbon double bonds. Both MUFA and PUFA are able to lower the blood cholesterol level and reduce the risk of heart diseases and strokes. This is the difference between MUFA and PUFA.

Reference:

1.“Unsaturated Fat.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2018. Available here  
2.“What Are Mufas and Pufas?” Nutra-Life Australia, 15 Aug. 2017. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.’Oleic-acid-based-on-xtal-1997-2D-skeletal’By Ben Mills – Own work, (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia  
2.’Fat triglyceride shorthand formula’By Wolfgang Schaefer – author, (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia