Metabolic health
Palmitoleic acid (C16:1n-7)
cis-9-hexadecenoic acid, an omega-7 fat
Included in Complete.
Compare membershipsHow your body's own fat-making shows up in blood.
Palmitoleic acid is a monounsaturated fat, the same broad type as the main fat in olive oil, that your body makes mostly from palmitic acid. Few common foods contain much of it, so your result mainly reflects your body's own fat production.
Carbohydrates, alcohol, and body weight can move it.
In a large study of older adults, higher palmitoleic acid went along with higher body mass index, carbohydrate intake, and alcohol use. In a small feeding study, it rose step by step as carbohydrate intake increased.
Its links with health are mixed. Higher levels have been tied to some less favourable metabolic markers and some more favourable ones, so researchers still debate what it means for an individual.
Palmitoleic acid reflects fat-making more than fat-eating.
Questions
What can raise palmitoleic acid?
Higher carbohydrate intake, regular alcohol, and carrying extra weight are associated with higher levels. A few foods, such as macadamia nuts, and supplements sold as omega-7 also contain it.
How does it relate to the SCD-16 index?
The SCD-16 index is calculated from your palmitoleic and palmitic acid results to estimate how active the enzyme that makes palmitoleic acid is. A clinician can read both alongside your triglycerides and HbA1c.
Sources and references
- Mozaffarian et al., Circulating palmitoleic acid and risk of metabolic abnormalities and new-onset diabetes (Am J Clin Nutr, 2010)
- Volk et al., Step-wise increases in dietary carbohydrate, circulating saturated fatty acids, and palmitoleic acid in adults with metabolic syndrome (PLoS One, 2014)
- Frigolet and Gutiérrez-Aguilar, The role of palmitoleic acid in health and disease (Adv Nutr, 2017)