What Is Palmitoleic Acid (16:1) & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Palmitoleic acid, 16:1, or hexadecenoic acid, is an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid.

Palmitoleic acid is an important component of natural fats and oils such as those found in beluga oil, cod liver fish oil, palm oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.

Palmitoleic acid is an important fatty acid for pharmaceutical applications.

Palmitoleic Acid Is A Common Omega-7 Fatty Acid

Palmitoleic acid is an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid.

It is mostly found in plants and marine sources.

Palmitoleic acid is one of the most common omega-7 fatty acids. (source ◳)

In the body, palmitoleic acid is present in all tissues but is generally found in higher concentrations in the liver. (source ◳)

Palmitoleic acid can provide many health benefits. Check them out in Palmitoleic Acid (16:1): 8 Research-Backed Benefits

We Don't Consume Much Palmitoleic Acid

The consumption of palmitoleic acid in Western diets is limited.

Because its main dietary sources are foods we sporadically consume. Like macadamia nuts and codfish liver oil.

Despite that, deficiency is rare. (source ◳)

Foods You Can Find Palmitoleic Acid In

You find palmitoleic acid mostly in american indian and alaska native food, nuts and seeds, fats and oils, and beef products.

Examples of food sources include

• Beluga Oil
• Bearded Seal Oil
• Macadamia Nuts
• Spotted Seal Oil
• Menhaden Fish Oil
• Herring Fish Oil
• Cod Liver Fish Oil

Foods in our nutrition tool

You can find regularly updated, top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most palmitoleic acid, we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Palmitoleic Acid (16:1).