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THE-FAT-PROJECT-SECTION-56-Group-3

Page history last edited by Will Kelly 15 years, 2 months ago

The Fat Project

Will Kelly, Matthew Chan, Jacob Green, Silas Taylor


 

Fat

 

Fat is a nutrient that provides the human body with energy. Fat is a nutrient that is essential for the human body to operate.  It supplies energy and allows other nutrients to do their jobs. It produces 9 calories of energy per gram of fat. Fat is a nutrient that is essential for the human body to operate.  It supplies energy and allows other nutrients to do their jobs.  When too much is consumed, it can result in high cholesterol because it is concentrated source of calories.  Too much fat can also result in obesity, which is a risk factor for heart attack.

 

Types of Fat

 

Saturated vs. Unsaturated

 

Saturated fats have all single bonds, meaning they have the maximum number of hydrogens possible.  This results in a straight molecule.  This explains why at room temperature, saturated fats are solids.

 

Unsaturated fats have one or more double or triple bond.  These double bonds cause kinks in the carbon chain.  The kinks in the unsaturated fats prevent the molecules from packing tightly together (making it a liquid at room temperature) and becoming a solid at room temperature.  Hydrogens can be added to unsaturated fats to create hydrogenated fats. These are also known as trans fats.

 

Trans fats are processed fats, made from a liquid oil.  These fats are found in greasy foods such as french fries, hamburgers, and bacon.  Hydrogen and pressure are added to oils such as vegetable oil to produce trans fats.  Trans fats are also called hydrogenated fats. Trans fats are worse than saturated fats for example, because they not only raise the total cholesterol level in one's body, but also get rid of HDL, good cholesterol, which helps prevent things such as heart attacks.  Because of the hydrogens added, a "stiffer" fat is created, making it more likely to clog arteries.  These fats are not needed in the human body, but they were originally put in foods to lengthen the shelf-life of the product. The hydrogenated fats preserve the food.  In December 2006, New York City became the first city to ban trans fats at all resturaunts.  The FDA began requiring trans fats on food labels in January 2006. 

  

Trans Fat Images:

 

C18_trans_fat.jpg

Diagram of the molecular structure of different fatty acids

 

 
Saturated fat Cis-unsaturated fatty acid Trans-unsaturated fatty acid
 
saturated carbon atoms (each with 2 hydrogens) joined by a single bond unsaturated carbon atoms (each with 1 hydrogen) joined by a double bond. Cis configuration. unsaturated carbon atoms (each with 1 hydrogen) joined by a double bond. Trans configuration.

 

 

 

Why are saturated fats worse than unsaturated fats?

     Saturated fats are found in animals and if consumed, raise the level of cholesterol in your body which raises the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats are found in foods like nuts and oils. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated foods both have significantly lower amounts of LDL cholesterol which lowers the risk of heart disease.

 

 

TBoneSteak1.jpg

 

 

 

Triglyceride - the chemical form in which fats exit food and the body.  The structure of a triglyceride consists of on glycerol and three fatty acid chains attached.  They are present in blood plasma, and with cholesterol, form plasma lipids.  Triglycerides come from the leftover calories your body produces and stores them into fat. Tryglyceride levels are usually associated with high choloesterol levels which could be potentially dangerous to the heart.

 

Triglyceride.jpg

 

 

Monounsaturated -  fats that have just one double bond in the fatty acid chain

 

Polyunsaturated - more than one double bond in the fatty acid chain

 

Omega-3 - is a fatty acid particularly found in fish. Omega-3 helps lower the risk of Cardiovascular disease by benefitting the heart with nutrients.

 

FFA

 

A Free Fatty Acid (FFA) is a fat cell that circulates in the bloodstream.  Levels of FFA are also higher in people who are obese. According to a theory called the Randle Hypothesis, high FFA levels keep sugars in the blood stream instead of in muscles that use the sugars for energy.  This is caused because FFA's decrease the liver's ability to store sugars which directly affects beta cells in the pancreas (The cells that make insulin).  Because of this, the cells in the body become resistant to insulin which then leads to type 2 diabetes.

 

How FFA's lead to type 2 diabetes and Hyperglycemia:

 

          

 

Cholesterol

     

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in the lipids in one's bloodstream.  Cholesterol is also present in the cells in one's body.  Cholesterol is necessary for the body as it helps form cell membranes and some hormones.  However, if one's cholesterol level is too high, they can be risking heart disease and heart attack.  When too much cholesterol is flowing in the blood, a sticky deposit called plaque is produced and stick to artery walls. To much plaque buildup in the arteries can block the blood circulation to the heart, or other important organs in the body.  This condition is called hypercholesterolemia.  While high cholesterol increases the risk of heart attack, low cholesterol does not necessarily decrease heart attack risk.  Although much of people's cholesterol problems is due to poor diet and exercise, some cholesterol cannot be controlled, it is simply hereditary.  A hereditary disease called familial hypercholesterolemia can cause high cholesterol to run in the family. 

 

HDL - "good" cholesterol

     high levels of HDL in this cholesterol seem to prevent heart attacks

     HDL may clear cholesterol from the arteries and back into the liver, which is the ideal location

     slows the buildup of arterial plaque

     HDL helps prevent heart disease and heart attack by clearing the arteries of plaque.

LDL - "bad" cholesterol

     If too much is consumed, it can clog the arteries that feed the heart and the brain.

     It, along with other substances can form plaque in the arteries, narrowing them.  This results in a condition called atherosclerosis. 

     Clogged arteries may result in heart attacks and stroke.

 

Lp(a) is a variation of LDL.  High Lp(a) levels results in the buildup of fatty deposits in arteries. 

 

Lowering Cholesterol

 

Lipitor

     

Lipitor blocks an enzyme called hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA) because it is a statin.  A Statin is a class of drugs that lowers the cholesterol level in the blood stream by blocks this enzyme.  Statins slow the formation of plaques within the cholesterol which cause atherosclerosis.  Statins also reduce the chance of plaque seperation, resulting in fewer future clots.

 

How Statins work: 

 

 

  

Cheerios 

 

Cheerios do, in fact, help to lower cholesterol. Cheerios has 1 gram of soluble fiber per cup. Soluble fibers in whole grain oats can form a gel in the digestive system. This gel binds cholesterol and removes it from the body.

 

 

Works Cited

 

 

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/heart/healthy/fat.html   

http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/lowercholesterol/LC_eat.html 

http://www.3dchem.com/imagesofmolecules/Triglyceride.jpg 

http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/fat-unsaturated.php

http://telstar.ote.cmu.edu/biology/MembranePage/images/representation.jpg 

http://www.umm.edu/features/transfats.htm

http://www.worldofmolecules.com/foods/C18_trans_fat.jpg

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Trans-fat

 

www.lipitor.com/about/

www.medicinenet.com/statins

www.cheerios.com 

www.medicinenet.com 

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000

 

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ridge/4839/statin11.gif   

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/TBoneSteak1.jpg 

Comments (2)

Jacob Green said

at 8:17 pm on Jan 26, 2009

we cant have the picture of the role of free fatty acids in hyperglycemia on the wiki unless SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS IT

Silas Taylor said

at 1:33 pm on Jan 27, 2009

I understand it.....

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