The Energy Nutrients:

Lipids (Fats)
Lipids: Roles
▪ Energy Providing nutrient
▪ Calorie Rich: 9 kilocalories per gram eaten
▪ Suggested Caloric intake: 20-35%
▪ Made from fatty acids and include fats and oils.
▪ Divided into fats and oils
1. Fats – solid at room temperature usually animal based
2. Oils – liquid at room temperature usually vegetable
based
Significant Role : provides the body with a sense of
satiety/fullness
Lipids: Roles
Butter Vegetable Oil
Misconception About Fat
Consumption of fat can lead to being
overweight. TRUE if you are consuming more
calories that the body can burn.
Not true if you are both consuming quality fats
and incorporating exercise.
Lipids: Roles
Fats are found throughout the body.
Found in
▪ Cell membranes
▪ Organs
▪ Muscles
Fats provide oils that give shine to skin, hair and nails
Roles: Storage in Body as:
Visceral Fat Subcutaneous Fat
▪ Stored within the abdomen ▪ Stored just below the surface of the skin

▪ Surrounds the internal organs

▪ Too much visceral fat is associated with

cardiovascular disease.

▪ Harder to lose than subcutaneous fat

because it’s deeply embedded in the
body.

▪ A person can still maintain a healthy

weight with a fair amount of this fat
Roles: Triglycerides

Triglycerides make 95% of all lipids and are found in the

body as well as in food. Watch video concerning saturated fat
& hydrogen atoms
▪ Contain 3 fatty acids
Triglycerides
▪ You will notice in the previous slide Glycerol which is the backbone of
triglyceride.
▪ It’s an organic compound that contains three carbon atoms.
▪ Attached are fatty acids. A fatty acid is an organic compound containing a chain
of carbon and hydrogen atoms attached to an acid group on one end.
▪ Check out the video in your Module.
Trans Fats
▪ AKA: Trans-fatty acid

Define: Trans-fatty acids are manufactured fats created during a process called
hydrogenation, which is aimed at stabilizing polyunsaturated oils to prevent
them from becoming rancid and to keep them solid at room temperature. They
may be particularly dangerous for heart health and may pose a risk for certain
cancers. Trans fats are rare in natural foods but abundant in processed foods
due to hydrogenation
Trans Fat structure: hydrogen atoms on opposite sides of a double carbon bond,
which makes its structure similar to saturated fat.
▪ Trans fats raise the body's LDL cholesterols levels
▪ Dairy and meats contain natural forms of trans fatty acids
Trans Fats
Hydrogenation :
The chemical process of using heat to force hydrogen atoms into an unsaturated
fatty acid to make it similar in structure to a saturated fat.
Hydrogenation turns a liquid fat into a solid fat at room temperature.
Vegetable shortening ( not a trans fat) is 10% air by weight, is an example of a
product that has undergone hydrogenation.
Solid fats have a longer shelf life than liquid fats because they are more
resistant to becoming rancid (spoiling)
See video in module
Phospholipids
Define: type of lipid consisting of two fatty acids & a phosphate molecule.
They are naturally made by the body and play an important role in the structure
of cell membranes.
Phospholipids act as an emulsifier by keeping fat suspended in water.
Emulsifier: a substance that mixes with two unlike liquids to produce an
emulsion. EXAMPLE: mayonnaise which contains oil and vinegar.
Without an emulsifier, the oil would float on top of the vinegar.
Lecithin: a natural emulsifier/phospholipid found in egg yolk.
See emulsion video
Sterols

Cholesterol: a type of sterol in the lipid family that is a soft, waxy substance
made by the body and found in every cell and in foods of animal origin.
Important to note that sterols are found in both plant- and animal-based foods,
whereas cholesterol is found in animal based foods such as egg yolks, meat,
poultry, seafood and dairy products.
Ergosterol- a type of sterol present in fungi.
So interesting to know that in the presence of ultraviolet light, erosterol is
converted to ergocalciferol, known as vitamin D 2 . Because vitamin D ids
primarily found in animal-based foods, ergosterol- containing foods like
mushrooms can serve as importance source of vitamin D for vegetarians.
Lipid Functions
▪ Energy
▪ Insulation and organ protection
▪ Hormone production
▪ Cellular structure
▪ Nutrient absorption
Functions - Energy
Energy
▪ Most calorie dense macronutrient
▪ Body can store excess fat for later energy use.
▪ Excess fat is stored in specialized fat cells called ADIPOSE cells
▪ Adipose cells primary function: storing excess fat.
Adipose Cells
▪ Adipose cell is a cell with the primary
function of storing excess fat for later
energy use.
Expanded Adipose Cells
Adipose Cells that keep expanding will ultimately lead to weight gain if they’re
not used for energy.
Functions: Insulation & Organ Protection
▪ Lipids form a layer of “fat” under the skin that
insulates the body from temperature extremes.
▪ Regulates internal temperature of the body.
▪ Cushions organs such as the heart. This protects
organs from injury, such as shock.
▪ Helps hold organs in place.
Functions: Hormone Protection
▪ Lipids are involved in production of hormones.
▪ Hormones work as messengers by sending signals that influence:

1. Hormonal responses
2. Insulin regulation
3. Metabolism
Function: Cellular Structure
Lipids coat cell membranes and provide a
protective barrier that helps regulate the materials
entering and exiting through cell walls.
Function: Nutrient Absorption
▪ Lipids help body absorb fat-soluble nutrients
such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
▪ With the exception of vitamin D, fat-soluble
vitamins are also founds in many vegetables and
fruits.
Roles
▪ Studies show monounsaturated fats are beneficial to the
heart
▪ Hydrogenated fat are liquid fat turned to solid by
chemically reacting with Hydrogen
▪ Sample of Hydrogenated fat is vegetable shortening
▪ Trans Fats are formed when oils have been partially
hydrogenated
▪ Raises the body's LDL cholesterols levels
▪ Dairy and meats contain natural forms of trans fatty
acids
Lipid Digestion & Absorption
1. Lipids float atop water
based stomach fluids.
2. Bile works to emulsify
lipids. It’s here in the
stomach where most lipid
digestion takes place.
3. Pancreatic lipase breaks
lipids into glycerol, fatty
acids, and monoglycerides
Lipoproteins

Lipoproteins are made of four components:

1. Triglycerides
2. Protein
3. Cholesterol
4. Phospholipids
Lipoproteins Digestion & Absorption

▪ The end of the digestion dietary lipids from into

triglycerides
▪ Lipid portion joins a protein
▪ Lipoproteins are the transport mechanism for fat in the
body
▪ Important markers of health
▪ Pass through the body pass their contents of cholesterol,
triglyceride, phospholipids, and fat soulble vitamins to
cells
▪ LDL and HDL
Role of Lipoproteins
LDL – bad cholesterol
▪ Contains considerable amounts of cholesterol
▪ High saturated fat intake can raise LDL
▪ LDL can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease
HDL – good cholesterol
▪ Made in the liver and intestines – heart healthy
▪ Lowers cholesterol levels has more protein and is denser
than other lipoproteins
▪ It is able to remove LDL and plaque in artery walls
High Density Lipoproteins
▪ High density lipoproteins is used to collect
cholesterol and bring it to the liver so that it can
be dismantled and recycled in bile or excreted.
▪ HDLs contain a higher ratio of protein than lipids
and are commonly referred to as good cholesterol
because they lower the risk of cardiovascular
disease by removing cholesterol from the body.
 Lipid Sources
▪ Essential Fatty Acid-can not be made by the body and
must be obtained from dietary sources.
▪ The essential fatty acids Linoleic and Alpha-linolenic are
primarily found in plant based foods and fatty fish.
▪ Linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid are necessary for
normal growth and development
▪ Deficiency may cause dermatitis, diarrhea, infections,
and a halt in growth and wound healing
▪ Decrease consumption of saturated fats and trans fats
Lipid Sources: Essential Fatty Acids
Essential Fatty Acids help maintain:
▪ Cellular structure
▪ Reduce inflammation
▪ Regulate blood pressure
▪ Improve blood clotting
▪ Increase immune functions
 Essential Fatty Acids
Linoleic Acid Alpha Linolenic Acid

▪ AKA: omega 6 fatty acid ▪ AKA: omega 3 fatty acid

▪ A polyunsaturated fatty acid ▪ A polyunsaturated fatty acid

▪ Sources include vegetable oils: ▪ Body can covert these acids into other
omega 3’s
Corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean,
sunflower ▪ Sources include fatty coldwater fish

Bluefish, herring, mackerel, salmon, trout, tuna.

Also: wheat germ, flaxseed, pumpkin seed &

walnuts
Omegas
Omega 3 Omega 6
Recommended Fat Intake Based on Calorie Needs
Total Calories in Daily Diet Recommended Fat Intake

1600 36-62 g

1800 40-70 g

2000 44-78 g

2200 49-86 g

2400 53-93 g
Preparing Lipids

1. Reaction to Air: Fats and oils can become RANCID when exposed to air.
Unsaturated fats are particularly sensitive to air due to their structural composition.
2. Reaction to light: exposure to light causes fats & oils to become rancid. Can also
destroy some nutrients found in walnuts and flaxseeds.
3. Reaction to heat: heats also promotes rancidity. Store in cool location or
refrigerate. Also important to recognize varied smoke points of oils.
Smoke point of a fat is determined by the temperature that causes fat or oil to
break down, smoke, and emit an odor.
4. Reaction to moisture: water is a major component in cooking and in food.
However, oil and water do not readily mix unless forced together into temporary
emulsions, semi permanent or permanent.
Food Labels and fat
▪ Products containing less the 0.5 g of trans fat per serving can be labeled as
having 0 g of trans fat
Based on scientific research, many experts recommend limiting saturated fats to
less than 10% of the total calories consumed in a day.