Sunday, March 20, 2011

Fat: What is it really?

In this post I will introduce my second theme: FAT! [**dramatic music**]
We will talk about what it really is, what your body does with it, what different types there are, which kinds you should eat and which kinds you should avoid. If at any time you have more questions, please ask and I’ll do my best to answer them. And I will attempt to explain all this without requiring you to have a thorough understanding of biology and chemistry (but maybe a basic one).

What is fat?
 
On a molecular level, fat is made up of fatty acids which are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogens accompanying each but the last which is whats called a ‘carboxylloc acid’ with a double bond to an oxygen and a hydroxide (or oxygen and hydrogen)
These chains vary in length from several carbons to over 20 long. They also vary in the number and position of double bonds between carbons; as we will see in another post, this can make a big difference to how the fatty acid behaves and what it does in your body.

Fat can be in the form of free fatty acids or as triglycerides. When you eat food most of the fat is in the free form, your body links groups of 3 free fatty acids together with a glycerol for storage as triglycerides.(image courtesy of: familyhealthavenue.com)

That's all for now, next time we will discuss how important fat is for the regular function of your body; if you would like me to address anything specific, let me know in a comment.

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