What is the Role of Lipid Nutrients in the Human Body?
Fat plays an important role in the human body, but too much of it can be unhealthy. Lipids help the body create this long term fat storage, such they energy can be released to the body when needed. Subcutaneous fat is used by the body to help insulate itself from the cold. The body needs to remain near a very specific temperature, and this fat helps the body maintain in warmth, even when in a situation that makes the body cold. Other fats are also in the body to help protect the vital organs from potential injury. This insulation of fat helps cover the organs so that if they suffer some sort of injury, the effect can hopefully be reduced.
Fats are classified into two groups, saturated and unsaturated. A proper diet should seek to eat unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats because they tend to be healthier. Certain unsaturated fats, such as linolenic acids, are essential to the digestive system. If a person does not get enough of these unsaturated fats, then they can see problems such as skin problems or delayed growth. These types of lipids are typically seen in foods such as canola oil, fatty fish, and soybean oil. Saturated fats, on the other hand, can be potentially harmful to the human body. Too much of these kinds of lipids can increase bad cholesterol and possibly lead to heart disease. Saturated fats typically come from foods from animals. For example, meat, milk, and butter tend to have a high concentration of saturated fats. Even worse then saturated fats are trans fats. These types of lipids can actually hurt the function of the membrane receptors that help the body clean out cholesterol from the blood. These kinds of fats occur when unsaturated oils are hydrogenated.
Source:
Benitz, Bill. Lecture: Human Biology. December 4, 2009
Published by John Smith
John has been writing online for several years. An avid hockey player and fan, he is enjoys writing sports articles, but is familiar with a wide variety of topics. View profile
- Overview of FatsDepending on what kind of fat you are consuming and how much of it you take in, fats can be beneficial or detrimental to your health.
- The Biology of Cell Molecules: What Are Lipids and ProteinsIn the field of biology, one thing that can be difficult for a lot of people understand is what lipids and proteins are. Lipids are used for long-term energy storage within the body and other helpful things.
- The Structure of the SkinThe skin is made up of about 70% water, 25% protein, 2% lipids, and some other elements and minerals. When you realize that the skin is mostly water you understand how important it is to keep the skin moisturized and...
- What Are the Right Fats in Food?There are fats that are considered good and beneficial to the body. These good fats (lipids) are the High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) which are also called the good cholesterol.
- Meat Eating Safety Tips - Including What is High in Saturated Fats!Eating meats high in saturated fats is dangerous and so can be the way meat is prepared. if not handled and cooked properly, meat can be poison!
- How to Find Fats (Lipids) Hidden on Food Labels
- The Difference Between Saturated Fats and Unsaturated Fats
- Kitchen Chemistry: Saturated Fats, Monounsaturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats
- Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the Dangerous
- How to Avoid Unhealthy Fats in Vegetarian Meals
- Your Heart Vs. the Different Fats
- Demystifying the Lingo of Fats, Cooking and Edible Oils