Fats Flashcards
What fatty acids are essential in your diet?
ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) and LA (linoleic acid)
Dietary sources of linoleic acid
Vegetable oils and poultry fat
Dietary sources of alpha-linoleic acid
Soybean oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds
ALAs convert to _______ and ______
EPA and DHA
DHA
The omega 3 fatty acid (often found in oily fish)
Lipid
Refers to all fats, cholesterol and other fat like substances. Does not dissolve in water
Lipoprotein
Protein coated packages that carry lipids, including cholesterol, in the blood stream. Cannot travel through the bloodstream without the protein coating
Cholesterol
Waxy, fat like substance found in foods of animal origin and in every body cell.
Essential for cell building
Blood serum cholesterol
Cholesterol that travels in the blood stream
Can be made by the body or from food
Dietary cholesterol
Cholesterol in food (only animal origin)
HDL blood cholesterol
Cholesterol and other lipids carried by high density lipoproteins away from the body cells to the liver so they can be broken down and excreted
Made in the liver in response to physical activity and some foods. Food doesn’t have them.
LDL blood cholesterol
Cholesterol carried by low density lipoproteins that
circulate to body cells where they may be used
This forms deposits on arteries and blood vessels.
Manufactured in the liver. Not found in food
Fats
Group of compounds made of glycerol and fatty acids.
Triglycerides
Scientific name for the common form of fat found both in the body and in foods
Most body fat is stored in this form
Made of three fatty acids and glycerol
Act like saturated fat
Trigger the liver to make more cholesterol so that total LDL rises
Hydrophobic
Water fearing – will not dissolve in, or react with, water.
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.
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.
Triglycerides
The primary storage and transportable form of fats in the body, composed of three free fatty acids bound to a glycerol backbone.
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.
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.
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.