194: Why are polyunsaturated fats more easily burned for energy than saturated fats?

Masterjohn Q&A Files Episode 194

Introduction

Question: Why are polyunsaturated fats more easily burned for energy than saturated fats?

I don't know in detail the mechanism, but I do know that it's been shown in human cells and in live animal experiments. And it presumably is related to the affinity of the enzyme for the fatty acid. And that's not something that's biochemically difficult. It's normal if there are enzymes that work with any fatty acid, for them to have different affinities for some fatty acids versus others.

This Q&A can also be found as part of a much longer episode, here:

081: Ask Me Anything About Nutrition, December 9, 2020

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DISCLAIMER: I have a PhD in Nutritional Sciences and my expertise is in performing and evaluating nutritional research. I am not a medical doctor and nothing herein is medical advice.

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