Chapter 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 can 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. The 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 temperature (like butter) and are often found in animal fat, palm oil, and coconut oil.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
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 atoms 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 Lipoproteins
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 Lipoproteins
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.
GRAS
An acronym for the Generally Recognized as Safe list of any substance that is intentionally added to food – a food additive that has been recognized as safe by a group of experts.
FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices, and by ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply.
Dietary Fat
The fat and oils found in food that is consumed.
Adipose Tissue
The loose connective tissue composed of fat cells for stored energy.
Phospholipids
Comprised of two fatty acids, a phosphate group, and a glycerol molecule – the phosphate group head is water soluble and the fatty acid tail is water insoluble. They align themselves to form the cell membrane.
Lipoproteins
A combination of fat and protein that transports cholesterol and other lipids to and from various tissues through the blood.
Hydrophilic
Water loving – will dissolve in, and react with, water.
Essential Fatty Acids
Fatty acids that cannot be synthesized, or not in adequate amounts, and, therefore have to be consumed in the diet – they include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Fat soluble means that a compound or molecule can be dissolved into fat. Fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K.
Omega-3s (a-Linolenic)
Named based on the position of the first double bond in the carbon chain, Carbon 3, an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid that is found in fish, seafood, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.
Omega-6s (a-Linoleic)
Named based on the position of the first double bond in the carbon chain, Carbon 6, an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid that is found primarily in plant oils such as corn, soybean, and safflower.
EPA
Abbreviation for eicosapentaenoic acid, essential omega-3 fatty acid found in marine sources including fish and krill, serves as a precursor to various compounds that have anti-inflammatory activities in the body in addition to serving as structural components of the brain and eye tissue.
DHA
Abbreviation for docosahexaenoic acid, the essential omega-3 fatty acid found in marine sources including fish and krill, highly abundant in the human brain, eyes, and sperm cells.
