The fats in human breast milk and infant formula provide 50-60% of the energy needed by the growing child and are also important for the absorption of several vitamins and minerals. Dietary fats, which are made primarily from substances called fatty acids, must be digested and absorbed through the wall of the intestine before they can release their energy.

Three types of fatty acids are found in nature: saturated fatty acids, monosaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Babies need to have a mixture of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in their diet and human breast milk contains the perfect combination of both. One of the most abundant saturated fatty acids found in human breast milk is palmitic acid, which accounts for about 20-25% of the total fatty acid content. Notably, palmitic acid is responsible for about 10% of the energy supply to the baby.