Food Nutrients - Fats & Oils

Fats and its compounds are known as lipids. Liquids are called oils and solids are fats. A gram of fat contains 9 calories.
Uses of Fat:

• Visible fats:
• provides a source of stored energy
• gives shapes to body
• cushions the skin
• acts as an insulation blanket that reduces heat loss
• Invisible fats: This hidden fat,
• is part of every cell membrane
• is a component of myelin ,
• is a shock absorber that protects the organs
• is a constituent of hormones and other biochemicals

Risk factor:
Heart attack
Saturated and Unsaturated fatty acids:
Saturated fat: are solid at room temperature and get harder when chilled.
Monounsaturated fat: are liquid at room temperature and thicker when chilled.
Polyunsaturated fat: are liquid at room temperature and stay liquid when chilled.
Types of cholesterol:

• LDL(bad cholesterol)
• protects against atherosclorsis. It is main carrier of cholesterol
• HDL
• it rescues LDL pieces and brings them back to the liver
• VLDL
• It is main carrier of triglycerides
• It is less harmful than LDL
• It carries fat to the other parts of the body.

High fat foods:

Fatty acids in oils or fats:

Quantity of cholesterol you consume per plate:

Source: Nutritive value of foods (Washington D.C:U.S. Department of Agriculture,1991).