Lipids

Alejandro Villarroel, M.S. Nutrition

Lipids

 A lipid a family of compounds composed of triglycerides,

phospholipids, and sterols
 Chemically…what makes a lipid different than a carbohydrate or
proteins?
 Lipids have more carbon and hydrogen atoms in proportion to their
oxygen atoms, which means they can supply more energy than them
 This is why 1g of fat = 9kcal, whereas carbs and proteins are 4kcal

 Reminder: all Carbon atoms NEED 4 BONDS to exist

Carbohydrate (glucose) 
 Fatty Acids Chemistry
 Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat in our bodies, in the same way that
saccharides are to carbs, and amino acids are to proteins
 All fatty acids contain the same basic structure – a chain of carbon and hydrogen
atoms with an acid group, “carboxyl” (COOH) at one end and a methyl group
(CH3) at the other end
 Fatty acids can differ in the length of their carbon chains, and the number and location
of the double bonds Methyl group
Saturated Fat
 Saturated fats are unhealthy fats. They are the fats that clog your arteries
and raise blood pressure
 Chemically, saturated fats contain fatty acid chains that are fully loaded
with hydrogen atoms, and therefore only contain single bonds
 Take a look below…to be “saturated” means to be full. The fatty acid
below is “full” of hydrogen atoms, and therefore there isn’t any more
room for any additional bonds to attach
Unsaturated Fat
 On the other hand, an unsaturated fat is a healthy fat
 By “unsaturation”, we mean that there are hydrogen atoms missing in
the carbon chain

 However, recall that carbon needs 4 bonds to exist

 In order to satisfy this chemical law, whenever the carbon chain loses
hydrogen atoms (and by implication, the bonds attached to them), the
carbons will then begin to double bond to each other
 Unsaturated Fats
 There are 2 kinds of unsaturated fats:
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
 Monounsaturated fats are found in olive
oil, peanut butter, peanuts and avocados
 Benefits include lowering risk of heart
disease (better blood circulation), greater
cognitive function

 Polyunsaturated fats are found in

sunflower seeds pumpkin seeds, corn oil,
soybean oil, and walnuts
 Benefits include reducing cholesterol,
better hydrated skin
Omega 3, 6, and 9 Fatty Acids

 Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats

 Omega 3 fatty acids are found in most fish (AHA recommends two
portions per week)
 Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the
highest quality omega 3’s you can consume
 Benefits include heart health, cholesterol control, blood pressure control,
and cognitive function
 Omega 6 fatty acids are found in various cooking oils and may
improve your immune system by reducing inflammation
 Omega 9 fatty acids are monounsaturated fats. They aren’t
“essential”, since the body produces them.
 Common food sources include olive oil, almonds, and peanut oil
 Firmness
 The more unsaturated a fat is, the less firm it will be
 This is why most of your oils that are high in mono- and
polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature

 This also explains why your saturated fats are solid at

room temperature
 Examples include animal fat, butter, shortening, lard

 Some exceptions to the rule are cocoa butter, palm oil, and
coconut oil. These oils are saturated, therefore firmer than
the liquid oils, but are made up of shorter carbon chains,
therefore softer than animal fat
Stability

 Stability is also influenced by saturation: the more unsaturated a fat is,

the less stable it will be
 Three factors can spoil your fat: oxygen, light, and heat
 Fats will become rancid when interacting with oxygen (otherwise
known as oxidation). The reaction, specifically, causes the loss of
electrons. This makes that compound unstable
 Heat and light have the same effect. Heat (by raising the temperature
of the oil) will degrade some compounds, whereas light can cause
substantial antioxidant loss
 This is why you usually find unsaturated fats (like olive oil) in dark,
glass bottles
 To help improve stability, manufacturers will either add antioxidants
or create a reaction called hydrogenation
Smoking Points

 Not all oils are created equal. Each oil

that you cook with has a specific
smoking point (the degree after the oil
begins to burn)
 You’ll notice a thick cloud of smoke, as
well as some bitterness if you reach the
smoking point
 The ideal temperature for frying foods is
between 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit
 The smoking point for olive oil starts
around 325 degrees, whereas peanut oil
and corn oil are around 450 degrees
 Hydrogenation (Trans fat)
 This is a chemical process by which hydrogens are
added to monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty
acids to reduce the number of double bonds.
Therefore, fats become more saturated (solid) and
more resistant to oxidation
 There are 2 manufacturer advantages:
 Hydrogenation protects against oxidation (therefore
extending shelf life)
 It alters the texture of foods, margarine becomes
spreadable, pie crusts become flaky, and puddings
become creamy
 Manufacturers will add a few hydrogens back to
unsaturated fats to make them semi-solid again.
Hence the name: partially hydrogenated oil in food
labels
 Triglycerides

 Triglycerides are the most abundant form

of fat (about 95%) in our diet, and is the
major storage form of fat in our bodies
 After eating, any calories your body
doesn’t “need” at the moment will be
stored into triglycerides
 Glycerols are compounds that contain 3
carbons (highlighted in the blue)…
therefore 3 different fatty acids are able to
attach to it…hence the name triglyceride
Phospholipids
 This is a compound similar to a
triglyceride but a phosphate group and a
choline replace of one of the fatty acids
 Lecithin (red meat, eggs, liver) is the
most common known phospholipid
 Phospholipids are useful in our foods
because they contain a bi-layer, or 2
layers of different properties. They have
a hydrophobic fatty acid (makes them
soluble in fat) and a hydrophilic
phosphate group (makes them dissolve
in water)
 The importance? The food industry uses
phospholipids as an emulsifier to mix
fats with water to create mayonnaise,
salad dressings, and candy bars
Sterols

 These structures are different in that

they are ring compounds, rather than
straight chains
 A sterol is a compound containing of a
four-ring carbon structure with any
variety of side chains attached
 Cholesterol is the most common sterol,
and it is found in meats, eggs,
seafood, poultry, and dairy products
 Dietary cholesterol and blood
cholesterol are not the same thing
 Your body has “good” and “bad”
cholesterol (HDL vs LDL). Your body
will transport cholesterol differently
depending if its good or bad
LDL (low density lipoprotein)

 LDL circulate throughout the body, making their contents available to

the cells of all tissues, muscles, fat stores and mammary glands
 LDL cholesterol is predominately cholesterol, with few triglycerides
 Special LDL receptors on the liver cells play a crucial role in the
control of blood cholesterol concentrations by removing LDL from
circulation
HDL (high density lipoprotein)

 The liver makes HDL to remove cholesterol from the cells and carry it
back to the liver for recycling or disposal
 HDL helps prevent plaque buildup and it contains anti-inflammatory
properties
 So what is the technical difference between HDL and LDL? HDL carry
cholesterol, but elevated HDL represent cholesterol returning from
the rest of the body to the liver for breakdown and excretion
 It is important to note that having HIGH amounts of HDL isn’t what
makes HDL healthy…it’s the ratio or proportion of HDL to LDL that
benefits you
Lipid Digestion

 In the mouth, fat digestion begins very slowly. Lingual lipase, more common
in babies than adults, will release in small quantities to begin digesting
 In the stomach, fat will float as a layer above the watery components of
swallowed food
 While your pyloric sphincter opens towards the small intestine, some food
will pass by and continue through the digestive process. The food that
doesn’t make it through will actually continue help emulsify the fat in your
stomach.
 Gastric lipase, which performs best in the stomach due to the acidity, will
work even more efficiently when the fat droplets are tiny
 Into the small intestine, here is where most of the absorption will once
again take place
 The hormone, cholecystokinin (CCK), will release and it will signal the
gallbladder to release its stores of bile (produced by the liver).
Lipid Absorption

 Fatty acids, after being emulsified by

bile, are now known as micelles.
Micelles diffuse into the intestinal cells
where their components can be recycled

 These new recycled fatty acids are

packaged with proteins to make
transport vehicles known as
chylomicrons. Chylomicrons will guide
through the lymphatic system until they
reach the bloodstream, where they will
be carried to the rest of the body to be
used immediately or stored
Chronic Diseases

 Heart disease- can be affect by having an excessive amount of LDL in

the body. LDL is affected by saturated fat consumption, mostly. The
current standards suggest no more than 20 grams per day of
saturated fat
 Cancer- although the relationship with cholesterol is not as strongly
supported as it is with heart disease, science has shown that
cholesterol can promote cancer once it has arisen (but not
necessarily initiate it)
 Obesity is much more easily quantifiable, strictly on the basis that fat
contains more calories per gram than carbohydrates and proteins
 However, these doesn’t necessarily translate to losing weight 100% of the
time. Fat-free options don’t always have less calories, because instead of
fat they are being filled with sugar to maintain taste
Recommended Intakes

 USDA recommends between 20-35 percent of total calories from fat

 That number holds true for all fats: unsaturated, saturated, and trans
 Let’s do the math then…20-35% of a 2000-calorie diet would equate
to 400-700 calories form fat
 USDA recommends no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day,
which equates to 180 calories. Therefore, the remaining calories
should come from unsaturated fat
 Trans fat has no recommendation, as it SHOULD be 0. It is being
phased out of products and should be completely gone (although
some manufacturers are still using it)
 The fast food meal on the right
has roughly 1400 calories, almost
90 grams of fat, and more than
30 grams of saturated fat (not to
mention between 80-100 grams
of sugar)
Food Options

 Cutting fat cuts calories

 Trim fat from meat
 Switch from whole milk to fat-free milk
 Protein Foods
 Incorporate more lean options (chicken with no skin, or salmon) to reduce
the amount of saturated fat from bacon, hotdogs, or ground beef
 Increasing seafood will also increase the amount of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids
you ingest
 Milk and milk products
 Choose low-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole milk
 Opt out of cheese, and enjoy more yogurts
Food Options
 Vegetables and fruits contain virtually no fat, except avocados and olives
 Their fat content is high in unsaturated fats, though
 Grains
 Grains contain virtually no fat, however, depending on the source you could find yourself
ingesting some
 For example, pastries, crackers, and croissants could have trans fat hidden in the ingredient
list
 Fats and Oils
 Remember that fats high in saturated fats are typically solid, whereas foods and oils high in
unsaturated fats are usually liquid
 Take note of the ingredient list to see if hydrogenated oils are present. If so, your product
contains trans fat