Küllastatud

Küllastatud is an Estonian adjective meaning "saturated" or "full to capacity." It derives from the verb küllastama, to saturate or fill to capacity, and is used across different fields to indicate that a substance or system has reached its maximum content or intensity.

In chemistry, küllastatud typically refers to saturated compounds, especially saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes), which contain only single bonds between carbon atoms and are saturated with hydrogen. By contrast, unsaturated compounds contain double or triple bonds. The term also appears in referring to saturated solutions, where the solvent holds the maximum amount of dissolved solute at a given temperature and pressure.

In nutrition, küllastatud rasvad are fats composed mainly of saturated fatty acids, lacking double bonds. Common dietary sources include certain animal fats and some tropical oils. High intake of saturated fats is discussed in nutrition research for effects on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk, though findings are nuanced and depend on overall dietary patterns.

In everyday language, küllastatud can describe colors and lights that are vivid and intense, i.e., fully saturated. It can also describe a process or supply that is already full or at capacity, such as a market that is saturated with a particular product.

The term also forms related nouns such as küllastus (saturation) and is used in scientific, technical, and colloquial Estonian to convey the idea of maximum completion or intensity.