Fats--The Lipids

A Primer on Fats

After eating, the body stores some fat as an energy reserve. The body has unlimited potential to store fat. Excess carbohydrates and protein can be converted to fat, but they cannot be made from fat. With that said, one pound of body fat is worth 3,500 calories.

Fats are essential in maintaining health. Without them for a period of time, you would essentially will not be able to live. The reason why many people cut out fats in their diets is because they are very high in calories! People figured out that if they cut out fat from their diets, they would lose weight! Fats have a whomping 9 calories per gram.

Fatty acids can differ in chain length, which affects solubility. These fatty acids can be, shirt-chain, medium-chain, and long-chain. Fat can be divided into three broad groups:

Mono-Unsaturated Fats

These are very good for your health, and are proven to decrease the risk of heart disease. Examples include:

• Avocados
• Olives or Olive Oil
• Nuts
• Vegetable Oil

Poly-Unsaturated Fats

These are those fats that relate to many health benefits, such as blood pressure, heart disease, autoimmune disease, bones, and hormones. Some examples include:

• Omega-3 fats (linseeds, fatty fish)
• Omega-6 fats (sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, pecans)

Saturated Fats

Some people think that these are the worst fats. Most people already get these in their regular diet that there is no need to supplement or add extra. Easily found in animal sources like whole eggs, higher fat meals, cheese, milk.

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Essential Fatty Acids

A fatty acid that cannot be synthesized in the body in amounts sufficient to meet physiological need. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oils offer protective effect on health.

Linoleic Acid

Polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential for human beings.

This table shows Sources for Omega-3 Fats for the Diet

The body handles fat by the emulsification by bile.

A) Fats and water tend to separate; enzymes are in the water and can't get at the fat

B) Bile (Emulsifier) has affinity for fats and for water so it can bring them together.

C) Small droplets of emulsified fat. The enzymes now have access to the fat, which is mixed in the water solution.

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Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol; LDL-cholesterol (bad), and HDL-cholesterol (good). The cholesterol in LDLs that is attacked by reactive oxygen molecules inside the walls of arteries. 

Here are some images to show some clean, and clogged arteries! (semi-graphic)

 A normal artery provides open passage for blood to circulate.                                                                                                                                                                              

Plaques along an artery wall narrow the passage and obstruct the blood flow.

A few Charts on Fats (Click on Pic to see full size)

So a quick overview!

• Eat a variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables
• Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products
• Consume abundant legumes of many varieties, including soybeans, kidney beans, and lentils.
• Eat a variety of grains, including whole grains.
• Choose skinless poultry, lean meat, and fish, especially those rich in high omega-3 fatty acids
• Limit intake of foods high in calories (added sugars and fast) and low in nutrition.
• Limit foods high in saturated fat, TRANSfat, and or cholesterol.
• Eat less than 2400ml of sodium a day (1 teaspoon)
• and for alcohol, limit 1 drink per day (woman), and 2 for (men)