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Our study of fat so far has given us an overview of fat in general and taught us some important things about monounsaturated fat. Continuing with unsaturated fats, it's now time to cover polyunsaturated fats. Let's start again by digging into Wikipedia:
The lack of the extra hydrogen atoms on the molecule's surface typically reduces the strength of the compound's intermolecular forces, thus causing the melting point of the compound to be significantly lower. This property can be observed by comparing predominately unsaturated vegetable oils, which remain liquid even at relatively low temperatures, to much more saturated fats such as butter or lard which are mainly solid at room temperature.
As with all fats, the importance of the chemical make up becomes immediately apparent. Note that polyunsaturated fats have a very low melting point, making them liquid in most situations. Vegetable oil, as mentioned, is an excellent example.
Similar to monounsaturated fats, we learn that polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats an should be included in our diet. Take note of the food sources capable of providing polyunsaturated fats. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but once again we see the importance of fish, beans and whole grains in our diets.
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