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
Fat & diabetes
eating the wrong types of fats = cause abnormal cell membrane structure = impairment in action of insulin
what happens when there isn’t a healthy membrane?
cells lose their ability to hold water, vital nutrients, and electrolytes
what happens where there isn’t the right type of fats in cell membranes?
cells do not function properly, such as lose ability to communicate with other cells and be controlled by regulating hormones
insulin & fats
margarine & saturated fats dampen insulin activity, linked to obesity and type-2 diabetes; monounsaturated fats and omega-3 oils improve insulin action
monounsaturated fats and omega-3 health benefits
frequent consumption protect against development of type 2 diabetes and more than 50 health conditions including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, etc
hydrogenation
addition of hydrogen molecules to change structure of natural fatty acid to many unnatural fatty acid forms
hydrogen molecule added to natural unsaturated fatty acid molecules of the vegetable oil to make it more matured
risks of trans-fatty/hydrogenated acids
particularly harmful to cell membrane function, interfere with body’s ability to utilize important essential fatty acids
prostaglandins
regulatory compounds that essential fatty acids are transformed into
carry out important tasks in the body including regulatory processes
prostaglandin manipulating can be powerful in treatment of…
inflammation, allergies, high blood pressure, others
omega 6 to omega 3 guidelines
goal is to reduce intake of omega-6 fatty acids and animal foods, while increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids like fish oils
flaxseed oil cons
provides ALA which can be converted into EPA and DHA, but conversion process is not as effective as fish oil supplements
steps to get optima4.l ratio of essential fatty acids for healthy cell membranes and balanced and efficient production of prostaglandins
- limit total fat intake to 30%
- reduce intake of meat and dairy, increase cold water fish
- cook with canola, coconut, macadamia nut, or olive oil
- eliminate margarine and other trans-fatty/hydrogenated foods
- take fish oil supplement 600-1200 mg or vegetarians 1tbsp flaxseed oil
phospholipids
predominant form of fats in our cell membranes
major phospholipid in human body is…
phosphatidylcholine
commercially available supplements are derived from soy lecithin
phosphatidylcholine supplements are used in treatment of…
Alzheimers disease, bipolar disorder, elevated cholesterol levels, liver disorders
beneficial effects due to essential fatty acid components and soy lecithin preparations - body breaks phospholipids down into free fatty acids which are used fuel for body
cholesterol
serves important roles like starting point for manufacture of many hormones and bile acids, important component of cell membranes
what is the major source of blood cholesterol
liver
diets high in cholesterol are associated with…
increased risk for heart disease, cancer, strokes
saturated fat vs dietary cholesterol
level of saturated fats in diet might be more relevant than cholesterol content
studies show its saturated fat that determined blood cholesterol, not as much dietary cholesterol
how is cholesterol transported in the blood?
on carrier molecules known as lipoproteins
major categories of lipoproteins are…
very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
VLDL and LDL are responsible for…
transporting fats (mainly triglycerides and cholesterol) from liver to body cells and HDL returns fats to liver for use as energy or excretion
risks of elevated VLDL and LDL
increased risk of atherosclerosis - primary cause of heart attack and stroke
benefits of elevated HDL
low risk of heart attack
recommendation for cholesterol levels
total blood cholesterol be less than 200 mg per deciliter
LDL less than 130 mg per deciliter
HDL be greater than 35 mg per deciliter
triglyceride levels be less than 150 mg per deciliter
ratio of total cholesterol to HDL and LDL to HDL are important because…
cardiac risk factor ratios, tell whether cholesterol is being deposited into tissues or broken down and excreted
total cholesterol to HDL ratio
no higher than 4:1
LDL to HDL ratio
no higher than 2.5:1
conjugated linoleic acid
CLA; slightly altered form of essential fatty acid linoleic acid
naturally occurring in meat and dairy from grass fed cows
CLA benefits
reduce risk of cancer at sites like breast, prostate, colon, lung, skin, stomach in animals, possibly humans
help promote lean body mass
ferulic acid
gamma-oryzanol- growth promoting substance found in grains and isolated from rice bran oil
effective for menopause symptoms, lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides
octacosanol
waxy substance naturally present in wheat germ oil, rice bran, and wax layer of many plants
possible ergogenic- promising effects on endurance, reaction time, others
