Week 3 - Fats Flashcards
What does cholesterol do?
a structural component of cell membranes; helps repair and form new cells; necessary for synthesizing steroid hormones such as T and bile
What products contain cholesterol?
animal-based foods such as eggs, meat, poultry, cheese, milk
What is VLDL?
a package that carries cholesterol and triglycerides from the liver to the rest of the body’s cells. Converted into LDL or Bad cholesterol
What is HDL?
brings cholesterol back to the liver - good cholesterol
What are polyunsaturated fats?
essential fats that should be consumed in small amounts for optimal health
What do polyunsaturated fats do?
- epithelial cell function
- regulation of gene expression
- synthesis of eicosanoids (signaling molecules that reduce pain and inflammation)
What are saturated fats?
structural component of cell membranes, can me made in the body - not essential
Where are saturated fats found?
visible fat on meat, cheese, butter, full fat dairy, coconut oil
How are fats broken down in the mouth?
mechanical digestion by chewing and chemical digestion by lingual lipase
How are fats further broken down in the small intestine?
bile and pancreatic lipase break the remaining fat structure into free fatty acids, glycerol, cholesterol, and phospholipids for absorption
How are broken down products of fat absorbed into the body?
products are packaged as chylomicrons inside the small intestine and enter the bloodstream, which are then delivered to fat cells for storage or muscle cells for energy
What is the energy density of fat?
9kcal/g
Why is dietary fat important?
- energy dense
- provide essential fats (omega 3 and 6)
- rich source of vitamins A,D,EK
- food tastes good :)
What are 5 functions of body fat?
- insulate against heat loss
- keep skin and tissue soft and pliable
- organ protection
- structure: cell membranes, steroid hormones
- myelination
