Fats and Cholesterol (18) Flashcards
What do triglycerides consist of?
glycerol + 3 fatty acids
Lipid classes
1) triglycerides
2) phospholipids
3) sterols
Triglycerides
-98% of fat intake
-used for energy
-can be saturated or unsaturated
Saturated fats
-linear (fully saturated w/ hydrogen)
-solid at room temp
-animal fats, butter, lard, coconut oil, palm kernel oil
Unsaturated fats
-double bonds (“kinks’)
-liquid at room temp
-split into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
Polyunsaturated
-Omega 3 (very good! fish oil, alpha linolenic acid, rapeseed oil)
-Omega 6 (caution! too much causes inflammation; corn oil, safflower, sunflower oil)
Monounsaturated
-Omega 9 (good! olive oil, avocados, peanuts, almonds, canola)
Effect of healthy fats on body
-lower LDL (low density lipoprotein)
-raise HDL (high density lipoprotein)
-mono and poly unsaturated
alpha essential fats
-both polyunsaturated
-alpha linoleic (omega 6)
-alpha linolenic (omega 3)
omega 6
-alpha linoleic
-essential
-too much results in inflammation
-sunflower, corn, safflower
omega 3
-alpha linolenic
-essential
-high in brain and nervous tissue
-short chain n-3’s (walnuts, canola oil, dark leafy green vegetables)
-long chain (fish oils, EPA, DHA, animal sources)
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
-promotes intellectual and visual development (pregnancy and infancy)
-added to infant formulas
n-6 to n-3
-6:3 should be 4:1 or less
-high n-6 increases inflammation
Less healthy fats
-elevate LDL
-trans and saturated fats
-solid at room temp
Why were saturated fats manufactured?
-unsaturated are unstable and turn rancid
-process: hydrogenation
Two main drawbacks of hydrogenation:
1) more saturated fat
2) changes structure (more trans fats)
Effect of trans fat
-raises blood cholesterol levels most! (bad)
-increases LDL, lower HDL
-worse than saturated fats
-increase risk of heart disease, stroke, sudden death, type 2 diabetes
Common sources of trans fat
-margarine, shortening, peanut butter
-deep fried foods
-salad dressing, mayo
-cookies, donuts
What significant announcement was made in 2017 by Health Canada?
Prohibit partially hydrogenated oils in food, now no foods contain these after September 2020
Where is cholesterol found?
Only in animal products
Explain the sources of cholesterol found in blood?
2/3 produced by liver (not essential)
1/3 from diet
Can cholesterol be used for energy?
No
Cholesterol serves as a building block for what molecules?
-bile
-vitamin D
-testosterone
-estrogen
