The omega 9 are unsaturated fatty acids that we find in considerable quantities in olive oil. Useful for reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood, they are also valid allies against cardiovascular diseases. Let's find out better.
What is meant by Omega 9
The omega 9 are also called polyenolic acids or n-9 fatty acids, they are part of the family of unsaturated fatty acids .
They are found both in fats of animal origin and in fats of vegetable origin, commonly used in the food industry, they are frequently found in the form of oleic acid, one of the main components of olive oil, erucic acid, which is extracted from the rapeseed oil and that at high doses can be cardiotoxic, and of neuronic acid.
Unlike Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, Omega-9s are not considered essential and indispensable because the body can also synthesize them from other unsaturated fats, but they are a good resource for health.
The Omega-9 is a stable fat, which is resistant to high temperatures, suitable for frying for example; it is also resistant to light.
Foods that contain Omega 9
As we have seen, the healthiest oleic acid is found mainly in olive oil, at about 80%; in the rapeseed oil it is not so noble, above all in virtue of the genetic modifications that it has suffered then this production on the market.
In extra virgin olive oil, oleic acid is less concentrated, so the percentage of Omega-9 is significantly reduced. To a lesser extent it is also found in sesame oil, in tea or camellia seed oil, in palm oil, in rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, almond oil, avocado oil, oil of peanuts, hazelnut oil, soybean oil .
Neuronic acid, which contains Omega-9, is found in milk and baby food, in mustard, in some fish (salmon, swordfish, tuna) .
It is also found in small quantities in pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, flax seeds, almonds, peanut butter, cashews, sesame seeds, pine nuts, cocoa powder . Another food that contains good doses of Omega-9 is borage oil .
Because Omega 9 is good for health
To understand if the Omega-9 is good or bad, we need to go back to the known dichotomy of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids.
Saturated fats are those that are absorbed more quickly by the body and immediately give energy, while unsaturated fats have a more complex structure and to be absorbed they must trigger a series of mechanisms in the human body to facilitate their splitting, so it is necessary more time.
Omega-9s are polyunsaturated fatty acids, characterized by complex bonds. They are fats that are good for the body because they reduce the level of bad cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular diseases.
They also help keep the body young, so together with Omega-3 and Omega-6 they are the three musketeers of youth, good antioxidants for the body.
