8 Fats Flashcards
Hydrophobic
Water fearing - will not dissolve in, or react with, water
Cardiovascular Disease
Conditions involving the narrowing or blockage of blood vessels that cause a heart attack, chest pain, or stroke
Lipids
Compounds that are fatty acids or their derivatives
Fatty Acids
Organic Compounds with long hydrocarbon chains that are saturated or unsaturated
Phospholipids
Comprised of two fatty acids, a phosphate group, and a glycerol molecule. Th phosphate group head is water soluble and the fatty acid tail is water insoluble. They align themselves to form the cell membrane.
Cholesterol
A lipid like waxy substance found in all cell membranes, most body tissues, and body fluids - the body needs some cholesterol to make steroid hormones and vitamin D. Some cholesterol is obtained from foods like eggs, cheese, and shellfish, Most cholesterol is produced by the body.
Saturated Fatty Acids
Fatty Acids that have the maximum number of hydrogen molecules and contain only single bonds between their carbon atoms. Foods high in saturated fatty acids are usually solid at room temp and are often found in animal fat, palm oil, and coconut oil.
Unsaturated Fats
Fatty Acids that have one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms in the carbon chain. These are typically liquid at room temperature, relatively unstable, and are prone to oxidative damage.
Hydrogenation
The process of forcing hydrogen into vegetable oil to create a semi-solid or solid saturated fat.
Oxidative Damage
The imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants - free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons, which makes them susceptible to react with other molecules.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Unsaturated fats that have one unsaturated carbon molecule (two hydrogen molecules instead of four) or one double bond.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Unsaturated fats that have two or more double bonds between carbon molecules
Mediterranean Diet
Based on the traditional foods that people from Greece and Italy eat, including those foods rich in monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, nuts, and seeds.
Trans Fat
An artificial fatty acid that occurs when hydrogen is added to liquid vegetable oils (unsaturated fat) to make them more solid (saturated fat) and have a more stable shelf life
Low-density lipoprotein
Lipoprotein that carries cholesterol from the liver to the cells, known as bad cholesterol.
Triglycerides
The primary storage and transportable form of fats in the body, composed of three free fatty acids bound to a glycerol backbone
High-Density Lipoprotein
Lipoprotein that carries excess cholesterol away from the cells to the liver where it is turned into bile or excreted, known as the good cholesterol
Endothelial Dysfunction
Damage that occurs to the endothelium, the thin layer surrounding blood vessels.
