Fats Flashcards
Calories per g in fat
9 calories per g
What is the preferred energy source of the body
fat
how are fats used in the body
structural components in cell membranes and backbone for hormone like compounds known as prostaglandins
amount of fat recommended in diet
less than 30% of total calories
what is just as important as the amount of fat?
the type of fat
you want to decrease your intake of _______fats
saturated, trans-fatty acids (hydrogenated fats), omega-6
you want to increase your _______ fats
omega-3s and monounsaturated fatty acids
fats are made up of…
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
saturated fat
fat molecule in which all the binding sites are occupied by another atom
carbons are “saturated” with all of the atoms they can hold
unsaturated fat
one or more bonding sites left unoccupied
two neighboring carbon atoms will take up the slack by forming a double bond
monounsaturated fat
fat molecule with one double bond
poluunsaturated fats
fat molecules with more than one double bond
omega-3 fatty acid
when an unsaturated fat contains the first double bond at the third carbon
omega-6 fatty acid
when the double bond is at the 6th carbon
omega-9 fatty acid
when the double bond is at the 9th carbon
essential fatty acids
linoleic acid (an omega-6) alpha-linolenic (an omega-3)
Are EPA & DHA essential?
No, can be formed from ALA, but clearly beneficial
EPA & DHA sources
fish mainly cold water like salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut
what makes saturated fats and margarines “bad” and monounsaturated and omega-3 “good”?
related to function of fats in cellular membranes; type of fatty acid in cell membrane is type of fat you consume
a diet high in cholesterol and mostly saturated fat, animal fatty acids, and trans-fatty acids result in…
cell membranes that are much less fluid in nature than the cell membranes found in a person who consumes optimal levels of unsaturated fatty acids
according to study of disease process (modern pathology), a __________ is the central factor in development of virtually every disease
an alteration in cell membrane function