Energy-giving food: lipids (Fats) ● The omega number of PUFA indicates the

position of the first double bond in relation

DEFINITION to the methyl end of the carbon chain. The
The word lipid is derived from the Greek first double bond of an omega-3 fatty acid
word “lipos” meaning fat, although not all lipids is found three carbons from the methyl
are fats. Lipids are insoluble in water but soluble end, and the first double bond of an
in fat solvents. omega-6 fatty acid is six carbons from the
methyl end.
CLASSIFICATION OF FATTY-ACID ● The numbers of an omega family may
● Saturated fatty acid (SFA) have different lengths and numbers of
○ A fatty acid with a rabon chain double bonds, but the first double bond
containing all the hydrogen atoms occurs at the same point in all of them.
it can hold. It corresponds to the
general formula CnH2nO2.
○ A saturated fat contains
triglycerides in which most of the 18-C Fatty Acids
fatty acids are saturated.
Name No. No. Saturatio Common
○ Found abundantly in animal fat like of of n Food Sources
lard, cod liver oil, and plant oils. carb doubl
○ Ex. myristic, palmitic, and stearic. on e
● Unsaturated Fatty Acid (UFA) ato bond
○ Lacks hydrogen atoms and has at ms s
least one double bond between
Stearic 18 0 saturated Most animal
carbons. An unsaturated fat acid 18 1 Monouns fats
contains triglycerides in which Oleic acid 18 2 aturated Olive oil,
most of the fatty acids are Linoleic Polyunsa canola oil
unsaturated. acid 18 3 turated sunflower ,
○ Depending on the number of safflower, corn
double bonds, an unsaturated fatty Linolenic polyunsa and soybean
acid turated oils
acid may be monounsaturated or
Soybean and
polyunsaturated. canola oils,
■ Monounsaturated fatty acid flaxseed, and
(MUFA) walnuts
 Lacks two hydrogen atoms and has one
double bond between carbons. It Essential Fatty Acids(EFAs)
corresponds to the general formula - Are those that must be supplied in the diet
CnH2nO2 less 2H. because they are needed by the body but
 A monounsaturated fat contains cannot be made or are not made by the
triglycerides in which most of the fatty body in amounts sufficient to meet
acids are monounsaturated. physiological needs.
 Ex. oleic acid and palmitoleic acid - Are linoleic acid (the 18-C omega-6 fatty
 Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) acid) and linolenic acid (the 18-C omega-3
 Lacks 4 or more hydrogen atoms and has fatty acid).
2 or more double bonds between carbons. - The most effective way to maintain body
It corresponds to the general formula supplies of all the omega-3 and omega-6
CnH2nO2 less 4H or more. fatty acids is to get them from foods-
 A polyunsaturated fat contains vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, fish, and other
triglycerides in which most of the fatty marine foods.
acids are polyunsaturated. - Linoleic Acid and the Omega-6
● Ex. linoleic acid, Family
linolenic acid, and - Linoleic acid (LA) is the primary
arachidonic acid. member of the omega-6 family.
 With LA, the body can make other
members of the omega-6 family
such as the 20-C PUFA,
arachidonic acid
- If there is a deficiency of LA, all the
other fatty acids that derive from
LA would become essential and
will have to be obtained from the
diet.
- Normally, vegetable oils and meats
supply enough omega-6 fatty aids
to meet the3 body’s needs.
● Linolenic Acid and the Omega-3
Family
● Linolenic acid (LNA) is the
primary member of the omega-3
family. Given dietary LNA, the
body can make small amounts of
the 20-C eicosapentaenoic Acid
(EPA) and the 22-C
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both
members of the omega03 series.
● Regular consumption of omega-3
fatty acids helps to decrease blood
triglycerides, defend against
inflammation, present blood clots,
protect against irregular
heartbeats, and lower blood
pressure, especially in people with
hypertension or atherosclerosis.
FUNCTIONS OF FATS
● Components of body cells
○ All body cells contain some fat. In
healthy non-obese women, fat
makes up 16-25% of body weight,
and in healthy non-obese men, the
amount of fat is 15-25% of body
weight.
○ BOdy fat increases with age while
lean body mass decreases.
● Insulation and padding
○ Adipose tissue maintains body
temperature within the vital range
(37-37.5͒c) necessary for life.
○ Fat is a poor conductor of heat, so
the layer of fat beneath the skin
helps keep the body warm
○ Fat pads serve as natural shock
absorbers, providing a cushion that
protects bones and vital organs
against physical injury.
● Source of Energy
○ Triglycerides from foods or from
the body’s fat stores provide the
body with the most concentrated
sources of energy. As adipose
tissue, it is the major source of
energy stored in quantity by the
body. As dietary fats, they give
9kcal/gram
● Give satiety value
○ Fats reduce gastric motility and
stay in the stomach longer, giving
a feeling of satiety and delaying
the onset of hunger sensation.
● Contribute to palatability
○ Many substances responsible for
the flavor and aroma of food are
fat-soluble. The use of fat in
cooking improves the texture and
flavor of food
● Protein sparer
○ Like carbohydrates, fat acts as a
protein sparer by providing energy
so that protein can be used for
building and repairing body
tissues.
● Carriers of fat-soluble vitamins or their
precursors
○ Fat is necessary for the transport
and absorption of the fat-soluble
vitamins. E.g. the absorption of
vitamin A and its precursor,
carotene.
● Source of essential fatty acids which
are:
○ Components of cholesterol esters
and membrane phospholipids in
retinal photoreceptors, cerebral
gray matter, testes and sperm;
○ Precursors of prostaglandins,
thromboxanes, and prostacyclins
which help regulate blood
pressure, vascular dilation, blood
clotting, lipolysis immune
response, and the nervous system.
Classification of Lipids
1. Simple Lipids - or called neutral fats
Triglycerides - is the chemical name for
basic fats or stored fats
2. Compound Lipids
3. Derived Lipids
a. Fatty acids - the key refined fuel
forms of fat that the cell burns for
 energy. They are the basic
structural units of fat
b. Glycerol
c. Cholesterol - is a complex fat-like
compound found practically in all
body tissues, especially the brain
and nerve tissues, bile, blood and
liver where it is mostly
synthesized. It is an essential
component of cell membranes and
is required for cell growth,
replication and maintenance. It is
needed by the body for the
following:
i. It is the precursor of
dehydrocholesterol, which
has vitamin D activity
ii. It is part of the bile acids,
thus it helps in the
emulsification of dietary fat.
iii. It is also utilized in the
biosynthesis of
adrenocortical hormones,
which are important in the
development of secondary
male and female
characteristics.
Sources:
1. Endogenous cholesterol - it is
synthesized mainly in the liver
2. Exogenous cholesterol - it is supplied in
the diet, mostly from the fatty portions of
meat(brain, glandular organs and egg
yolk).
Very Low Density Lipoproteins
- The liver is the most active site of lipid
synthesis. Lipids made in the liver and
those collected from chylomicron
remnants are packaged with proteins as
very-low-density lipoproteins(VLDL) and
brought to other parts of the body as
needed.
- Body cells continue to remove
triglycerides from the VLDL as it travels
through the body causing it to shrink. As
the VLDL loses triglycerides, it becomes
more dense. The remaining lipoprotein
eventually becomes a low-density
lipoprotein(LDL) which is loaded with
cholesterol but only a few triglycerides.
Low Density Lipoproteins
- The low-density lipoproteins circulate
throughout the body making their contents
available to the cells of all tissues. The
cells take triglycerides, cholesterol, and
phospholipids to build new membranes,
make hormones and other compounds, or
store for later use. LDL receptors on the
liver cells control blood cholesterol
concentrations by removing LDL from
circulation.
- LDLs and VLDLs seem particularly
effective in depositing cholesterol in the
arterial walls. High LDL cholesterol is
associated with a high risk of heart
disease and is thus referred to as “bad
cholesterol”.
High Density Lipoproteins
- Only about one-fourth of the cholesterol in
the blood is carried as HDL. This
lipoprotein appears to remove cholesterol
from deposits on arterial walls and
transports it to the liver for disposal. HDL
is called “good cholesterol” due to this
protective effect.
- Elevated HDL represents cholesterol
returning from the rest of the body to the
liver for breakdown and excretion.
Trans Fatty-acids - also called trans fats have
been of interest lately to health professionals due
to its potential role as one of the risk factors for
cardiovascular disease. These are made from the
hydrogenation of poly-unsaturated fatty-acids
which changes liquid oils into solid fats. With this
process, the degree of saturation of the fatty-
acids is increased, linking it to high blood
cholesterol, as LDL.
Fat sources from the standpoint of physical
appearance
1. Visible Fats - cooking oil, butter,
margarine, salad dressing, lard, animal
fats (tallow)
2. Invisible Fats - egg yolk, olives, well-
marbled meats, milk, avocado.
3. 1gm of alcohol = 7kcal.
FATS AND HEALTH between the incidence of colon cancer
Heart Disease and the consumption of total fat, saturated
- The strongest dietary determinant of LDL fat, and cholesterol. However, no proof of
cholesterol is saturated fat. In general, the a direct association has been found to
more saturated fat in the diet, the more support or dispute the role of dietary fat in
LDL in the body. The elevation of colon cancer.
cholesterol level leads to the formation of - Evidence to like dietary fat and breast
fatty streaks in the walls of arteries thus cancer has been wark and inconclusive.
restricting blood flow and raising blood Some studies associate a high incidence
pressure. of breast cancer with a high fat diet. Such
- Blood cholesterol is often used to predict a diet may increase the risk of breast
the likelihood of having a heart attack or a cancer by increasing serum prolactin:
stroke; the higher the cholesterol, the estrogen ratio which promotes mammary
earlier and more likely the tragedy. Efforts tumors.
to prevent heart disease focus on lowering - Other studies find that total energy intake
blood cholesterol. and obesity are better predictors than
- A heart-healthy diet limits the intake of percentage of fat calories. Finally, some
foods rich in saturated fats and trans fats. studies show little or no association
Like saturated fats, trans fats raise heart between dietary fat and breast cancer.
disease risk by elevating blood - There appears to be a harmful association
cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol. between prostate cancer and dietary fat,
- Animal fats are the main sources of although a specific type of fat has not yet
saturated fats. Some vegetable fats been implicated.
(coconut oil and palm) and hydrogenated - The association between cancer and
fats provide smaller amounts of saturated dietary fat appears to be due primarily to
fats. Choosing poultry, fish, and fat-free saturated fats from meats. Fat from milk or
milk products helps to lower saturated fat fish has not been implicated in cancer risk.
intake and risk of heart disease. In fact, increasing the intake of omega-3
- Replacing saturated fats and trans fats fatty acids from fish and decreasing
with monounsaturated and saturated fat is recommended.
polyunsaturated fats may be the most
effective dietary strategy in preventing
heart disease. Replacing saturated fats
with the polyunsaturated of other
vegetable oils also lowers blood
cholesterol.
Overweight and Obesity
- These conditions result from taking
calories above requirements regardless of
the source. Because fat is a concentrated
source of energy, it is easy to exceed
one’s caloric intake by eating foods rich in
fat.
Cancer
- Evidence to link dietary fats in the etiology
of cancer is less convincing than for heart
disease, but it suggests a possible
association between fat and some types
of cancers. Dietary fat does not seem to
initiate cancer development but seems to
promote cancer once it has arisen.
- Epidemiologic studies in different
countries have shown a strong association