Stearic acid

Chemical structure
Ball and stick model

Stearic acid is a type of saturated fatty acid. Its chain is 18 carbon atoms long.[1] It is commonly found in animal fats such as tallow or butter.[2] Its name comes from the Greek word στέαρ "stéar", which means tallow. It is the second most common saturated fat type in the United States.[3]

References

  1. PubChem. "Stearic acid". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  2. "Foods Highest In Stearic Acid List". FoodNutri. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  3. Ervin, R. Bethene; Wright, Jacqueline D.; Wang, Chia-Yih; Kennedy-Stephenson, Jocelyn (2004-11-08). "Dietary intake of fats and fatty acids for the United States population: 1999-2000". Advance Data (348): 1–6. ISSN 0147-3956. PMID 15587902.