Composition of some common dietary fatty acids and typical food sources
| Fatty acid (common name) | Chemical notation | Amount found in U.S. diet (g/day) | Food sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | |||
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids | ||||
| Linoleic acids | 18:2, n-6 | 14.7 | 10.4 | Vegetable oil, nuts, seeds |
| α-linolenic acid | 18:3, n-3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | Flaxseed oil (linseed oil), canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts |
| Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)* | 20:5, n-3 | 0.1 (based on EPA and DHA together) | Fish and fish oil, plankton | |
| Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)* | 22:6, n-3 | Fish and fish oil, oceanic algae, plankton | ||
| Monounsaturated fatty acids | ||||
| Oleic acid | 18:1, n-9 (cis form) | 31.0 | 20.8 | Olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, almonds, cashews, pecans, avocado, peanuts, peanut butter |
| Elaidic acid | 18:1 n-9 (trans form) | 4.2 | 1.8 | Solid margarines, shortenings, salad dressing, processed food containing partially hydrogenated oil |
| Saturated fatty acids | ||||
| Lauric acid | 12:0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | Meats, poultry, butterfat in butter, nonskim milk or yogurt, cheese, ice cream, egg yolks |
| Myristic acid | 14:0 | 2.7 | 1.9 | Dairy products, food made with coconut oil |
| Palmitic acid | 16:0 | 1.7 | 11.6 | Dairy products, meat, processed grain products |
| Stearic acid | 18:0 | 8.1 | 5.4 | Dairy products, meat, processed grain products, chocolate |
↵* Both DHA and EPA can be synthesized from α-linolenic acid. Adapted from Sega-Isaacson CJ, Carello E, Wylie-Rosett J: Dietary fats and diabetes mellitus. Is there a food fat? Current Diabetes Reports 1:161–169, 2001