Team:Evry Paris-Saclay/Online-Survey

Title


As we were curious to know more about what people think of fatty acids, where they think they could be found, and what positive or negative effects they could bring us, we posted on our social networks a survey. About fifty people answered our survey, which allowed us to make statistics on all the answers obtained.

The answers are quite varied and many people were fatty acids’ connoisseurs. This is not unexpected as, compared to the people we interviewed during the vox pop sessions described above, our social network followers have mostly a scientific background.

















If so, what do you think of fatty acids?
They're both good and bad.
- They're necessary for life, but there's 'good' ones and 'bad' ones.
- They can be found in my food. I don't really think about them.
- They're an essential part of a healthy diet. (x2)
- They are important factors for health.
- Some are vital for life, must be consumed in moderation.
- They are an important energy source and storage form in our metabolism.
- They are necessary I our bodily function. But can be harmful in high quantities. Saturated fats are worse than unsaturated.
- Good for health when unsaturated.
- Useful.
- They can be useful for many biotechnological transformations.
- Basic structure and mostly occur as esters in fats or oils.
- Fat is bad.
- They are fatty acids?
- It’s for example fats or oils.
- They’re .... necessary.
- Important dietary sources.
- What constitutes lipids.
- Necessary for the metabolism’s fonctionning.
- Demonized to the wrong.
- It's a vital compound that can have different functions.
- Their benefits depend on the fatty acid’s type.
- Important.
- Good but do not abuse less than 30% per day.
- These are lipids that can be saturated, polyunsaturated or unsaturated.
- No opinion.
- That they are metabolites necessary for the good functioning of several ways.
- Nothing in particular.
- This is essential for any living cell, especially the cis-unsaturated that cannot be synthesized.
- It is a long carbon chain with an acid function.
- It’s useful for the cell membrane.
- Biomolecules essential for metabolism, an imbalance in the profile may cause adverse effects.
- I’m rather neutral on the question, so neither good nor bad.
















If so, could you briefly cite them by explaining, their main differences?
- Umm short chain fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated…can’t really tell their main differences although the names already tell you their main difference (size and bonds).
- Saturated (all single C-C bonds) and unsaturated (one or more double bonds).
- Saturated: without double bonds between carbon atoms. Unsaturated: with double bonds between carbon atoms.
- The main differences is the length and the saturation (how many double bonds the carbon atoms have) i.e one double bond - monounsaturated fatty acid, multiple double bonds - polyunsaturated fatty acids. then also there is a distinction between 3 and 6 omega fatty acids, but from the top of my head I am not sure what the difference is.
- Saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated have C=C double bonds. Unsaturated can be further classified as cis/trans, and also PUFAs (Polyunsaturated FAs)
- Fatty acids can be classified into saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The latter have at least one C=C double bond that allows the distinction between a cis and a trans isomer. Furthermore, those fatty acids need to be processed by NADPH-dependent reductases and enoyl-CoA-isomerases before they can be used as substrates for beta-oxidation. Beyond that fatty acids can be distinguished by their length of the aliphatic chain as well ranging from short-chain to very long chain fatty acids.
- Saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids (produced mostly by plants), unsaturated with double bonds.
- Saturated - the carbon chain is bonded to all Hydrogen. Unsaturated- the carbon chain contains other functional groups.
- Saturated and Unsaturated. Also, different esterification could lead to examples such as phospholipids, cholesterol, triglycerides. Could de bioavailable or not, could have cis or trans bonds (in the case of unsaturations) and other biochemical characteristics.
- There are three types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. The basic difference between each of these is the number of carbon atoms with or without two hydrogen atoms bonded to them.
- No. (x2)
- Saturated and unsaturated, length of fatty acids (double bonds presence, fluidity difference, melting temperature, etc.).
- Saturated without double bond. Unsaturated with double bonds can be cis or trans.
- Mono-unsaturated, poly-unsaturated, saturated.
- Free fatty acids can act alone, or can complex in triglycerides. Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The first ones are found in animal substances and the others in plants. Saturated fatty acids are associated with cardiovascular risks while others are of good prognosis and have shown beneficial effects in many pathologies. Depending on the unsaturation, the fatty acids’ effects and their metabolism are different. Saturated and unsaturated.
- A protective effect is recognized for unsaturated fat on cardiovascular function. Saturated fat has a bad reputation, because their excess consumption increases the rate of "bad" blood cholesterol, but are important constituents of cell membranes. Trans fats whose harmful effect on cholesterol and triglyceride levels is well known.
- Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (x9)
- There are free, conjugates (glycolipids ...) most are in the glycerides’ form (triglycerides, phosphatidylcholine ...) and this will impact their chemical properties and their biological roles.
- Saturated and unsaturated depending on the presence of C = C bonds.
- AGs varies in their carbon chain length as well as in the number and position of their unsaturation. These parameters can influence certain physical characteristics such as their melting temperature but also influence their assimilation by the human metabolism by impacting their ease to be oxidized and the amount of energy resulting from it.
- There are saturated and unsaturated fatty acid (that is to say if it has yes or no one or double bond in the carbon chain)
- Saturated and unsaturated (single vs double bonds in the carbon chain of the fatty acid).
- Saturated fatty acids, considered bad for health because responsible for cholesterol, and unsaturated.
- The chains are differently connected.








What do you think of palm oil?
- Never tried it.
- Could be a healthier alternative to butter, etc…
- Very little.
- Nothing to be especially worried or excited about.
- Healthy, but not ecologically friendly.
- Too much consumption increases risk of cardiovascular disease & production is not sustainable as it is right now.
- Good.
- It contains a very common saturated fatty acid.
- Not good, but cheap.
- Avoid it at all costs due to the harm its farming causes the environment.
- Indifferent.
- Has a high concentration of saturated fat due to the 16 Carbon palmitic acid chain. Therefore, if it exceeds the intake levels, it may have adverse effects on the body due to the action of 'bad cholesterol' or 'saturated fats'.
- Horrible for the environment.
- Haze in Singapore.
- Don’t use it because of deforestation.
- I use it every day.
- Bad for health.
- Very bad for the environment and health.
- Scientifically, no idea. Ecologically the cultivated is bad.
- Not good for orangutans.
- Mass production destroying forests.
- Demonized wrongly but can make "addicted".
- Palm oil is over-consumed so it is very bad for your health.
- Not healthy.
- Not good for the body at high doses!
- It kills orangutans (sad).
- I don’t know much about the effects that this oil has on health (I guess it probably has some virtues compared to others since we put all the sauces in industrial foods) .On the other hand, on the effects that its extraction has on the environment and the biodiversity, I can tell you two three things.
- Not very well.
- Bad.
- Its defect is apparently the corollary of its qualities: high in saturated fats, it has advantages in replacing trans-fat, but high in saturated fat, is therefore considered harmful to health. Palm oil contains about 50% saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid. But the effects of fatty acids on health are to be examined in a nuanced way.
- I do not prefer to consume this oil.
- Not ecological.
- Much less expensive than other oils, but the exploitation that is made, not ecological, especially in Asia, destroys forests’ hectares.
- This contributes to deforestation and habitat destruction of some species.
- It’s fat.
- It’s a fatty acids’ source that causes ecological problems for its manufacture.
- Saturated fatty acids.
- As bad as butter.
- I understood that it's not good for health when consumed in large quantities.
- Why use in Europe an oil plant that comes from another continent?
- Its cultivation causes environmental problems, in spite of interesting agronomic characteristics (very high oil yield), its use in agribusiness is favoured by interesting technological characteristics (rheology and resistance to oxidation), but poses nutritional problems.
- Not to mention the ecological disaster it represents, it’s an immature fatty acid or mono, I know more that’s bad for health.
- Bad for the environment. (x4)
- It’s fine
- Disgust.
- Its production is responsible for large deforestation and this oil is rich in saturated fatty acids.