Fat 🧡

• Cholesterol

  
  

  • We use fat to form cholesterol.
  • Cholesterol - a vital component of cell membranes.
• Provide insulation

  • Fat helps us to keep warm by creating an insulating layer beneath the skin.
  • Our bones and our organs are protected by these layers.

  
  

  
  

  Provide energy

  Source of vitamins
• Provide energy

  
  

  • Fats are concentrated energy sources.
  • We get double the amount of energy per gram of fat than we do per gram of carbohydrate or protein.
• Triglycerides make up fats. Triglycerides are esters formed from fatty acids and glycerol.
• Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids

  • Fatty acids are chains of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms.
  • There are two types:
  • Saturated fatty acids - contain single C-C bonds only.
  • Unsaturated fatty acids - contain one or more C=C double bond.

  
  

  
  

  Saturated and unsaturated fats

  Saturated fats

  Unsaturated fats

  Lowering cholesterol
• Saturated and unsaturated fats

  
  

  • During digestion, the human body breaks down fat into fatty acids.
  • If there are more saturated fatty acids, it's a saturated fat.
• Saturated fats

  
  

  • Saturated fats are unhealthier than unsaturated fats.
  • Eating lots of saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels and put us at greater risk of heart disease.
  • We mostly get saturated fats from animal sources, like beef and dairy sources. Palm oil is an example of a plant-based source.
  • At room temperature, saturated fats tend to be solid.
• Unsaturated fats

  • Unsaturated fats are the healthier of the two.
  • We mostly get unsaturated fats from vegetable sources with high-fat content, like pecans, pumpkin seeds and avocados.
  • At room temperature, unsaturated fats tend to be soft or liquid.
  • There are two types of unsaturated fats:
  • Monounsaturated - have one C=C double bond. We get them from hazelnuts and avocados among other things.
  • Polyunsaturated - have two or more C=C double bonds. We get them from walnuts and flax seeds among other things.

  
  

  
  

  Lowering cholesterol
• Lowering cholesterol

  
  

  • Research shows that a person can lower their cholesterol by eating unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats.
• fats are solids at room temperature
• fats are called oils when they are at room temperature
• what is fat made up of?

  one unit of glycerol and three fatty acids
• what are EFA's?


  1. body cannot make them
  2. found in food
  3. mainly found in oily fish, plants and seed oils, eggs and fresh meat
• state the four functions of fat?


  1. energy + store energy
  2. insulate the body from the cold and help it stay warm
  3. protect bones and kidneys from damage
  4. gives fat soluble vitamins
• state three invisible solid animal fats?


  pastries, butter in cakes, biscuits
• state three visible solid animal fats?

  butter, lard, fat on meat
• state three invisible solid vegetable fats?

  chocolate, processed food, vegetable fat spreads
• state three visible solid vegetable fats?

  white vegetable fats, coconut cream, cocoa butter
• state three invisible liquid animal oils?

  milk, cream, egg yolk
• state two visible liquid animal oils?

  cod liver oil, oily fish
• state three invisible liquid plant oils?

  pumpkin, sunflower seeds, vegetables fat spreads
• state three visible liquid plant oils?

  rapeseed oil, sesame oil, olive oil
• deficiency of fat: the body will bruise easily and the bones will hurt if they are knocked, if carbohydrate intake is also reduced, body weight will be lost, the body will not receive enough vitamins A, D, E or K, The body will get cold quickly
• excess fat: 1. become overweight

  2. eating a lot of foods that contain high levels of saturated fatty acids has been linked to the development of coronary heart disease
• how much fat should be consumed daily: total fat?

  no more than 35%
• how much fat should be consumed daily: saturated fat?

  11%
• how much fat should be consumed daily: monosaturated fatty acids?

  13%
• how much fat should be consumed daily: polyunsaturated fatty acids?

  6.5%
• how much fat should be consumed daily: trans fatty acids?

  no more than 12%
• what is a trans fatty acid?


  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 keep them solid at room temperature. They may be particularly dangerous for heart health and may pose a risk for certain cancers. + turns unsaturated fats into saturated fats