What is a characteristic of unsaturated fats?

Unsaturated fats are characterized by their chemical structure, which contains one or more double bonds in their fatty acid chains. This structure prevents the molecules from packing closely together, resulting in a liquid form at room temperature. This is why unsaturated fats are typically found in oils extracted from plants, such as olive oil and canola oil, as well as in fatty fish.

When considering other characteristics of fats, it is known that unsaturated fats, unlike saturated fats, do not raise cholesterol levels in the same harmful manner, making this distinction significant for heart health. Additionally, unsaturated fats do not provide more calories than carbohydrates, as all fats generally provide more calories per gram compared to carbohydrates, but it's the type of fat that impacts health more than just calorie content. Lastly, unsaturated fats can be found in both plant and animal sources, with several types of animal products also containing unsaturated fats, disproving the notion that they are exclusive to animal products.