FATS Everything you REALLY need to know By

FATS Everything you REALLY need to know By Soniya Tambe, Victoria Yeh, Teresa Mao

A Molecular View of Fats

• • • Fat is a MACROMOLECULE Fat/Triacylglycerol Function: energy storage, cushions kidney, insulate the body Each fat molecules consists of 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids glycerol: alcohol with 3 carbons, each bearing a hydroxyl group fatty acids: long carbon skeleton (16 or 18 carbon long). Adipose tissue: A kind of body tissue containing stored fat that serves as a source of energy; adipose tissue also cushions and insulates vital organs; "fatty tissue protected them from the severe cold".

PROPERTIES OF FAT • • • Insoluble in water Fats separate from water Ester linkage: join fatty acid and glycerol Saturated fatty acid: no double bonds. Most animal fats (ex. Butter), solidify at room temperature. Unsaturated fatty acid: one or more double bonds. Kink shape when double bond occurs. Most plant fats (ex: olive oil), liquid at room temperature. “Hydrogenated vegetable oil” means unsaturated fat have been converted to saturated fat by adding hydrogen. (ex: peanut butter)

Diseases Caused by Fat Intake Obesity, which is caused by an excessive accumulation of fats, is potentially dangerous. Did you know: Obese people with an apple shape deposit of fat (in the upper body or abdomen) have a higher risk of medical diseases than obese people with a pear shape (fat in the lower body and hips)

• Premature death • heart attack, stroke, other cardiovascular diseases • Diabetes mellitus • cancer of the colon, kidney, breast, or endometrium • arthritis • gallstones • Infertility • Asthma • snoring or suffering from sleep apnea • cataracts

Atherosclerosis – This is the build up of plaque in the walls of the arteries. This is a gradual process where cholesterol, fat and the smooth muscle cells lining the blood vessels have been transformed into a thickened, mass. The blood vessels become less elastic, and less blood can flow through it at once. Hypertension - Hypertension is high blood pressure, which can occur from such buildups of fat in the body Cancers – High intake of fat was originally associated with cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer, but researchers are still looking into this. Arthritis - Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. (dictionary. com)

Cataracts - Opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye, causing impairment of vision or blindness. (dictionary. com) Asthma - A chronic respiratory disease, often arising from allergies, that is characterized by sudden recurring attacks of labored breathing, chest constriction, and coughing. (dictionary. com) Sleep apnea - temporary suspension of breathing occurring repeatedly during sleep that often affects overweight people or those having an obstruction in the breathing tract, an abnormally small throat opening, or a neurological disorder. (dictionary. com) Diabetes -The are two types of diabetes. Diabetes mellitus involves irregular blood sugar concentration, where a lack of insulin results in excess sugar in the bloodstream and urine, due to the fact that it is not being stored as glycogen where it can be used on-demand. The other type of diabetes, diabetes insipidus, results in excess urine being excreted by the sufferer. (http: //www. biology-online. org/dictionary. asp) Gallstones - Concentrated calcium deposits that develop in the kidneys can sometimes prove to be dangerous to the carrier and their health. (http: //www. biology-online. org/dictionary. asp)

Fat-Related Issues • • Anorexia - A psychophysiological disorder usually occurring in young women that is characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, a distorted self-image, a persistent unwillingness to eat, and severe weight loss. It is often accompanied by self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, malnutrition, amenorrhea, and other physiological changes. (dictionary. com) Bulimia - An eating disorder, common especially among young women of normal or nearly normal weight, that is characterized by episodic binge eating and followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and selfcondemnation. It is often associated with measures taken to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, dieting, or fasting. Also called bulimarexia, bulimia nervosa. (dictionary. com)

• Today people are always in a panic about obesity!!! • In the past, being fat was associated with opulence, wealth, and aristocracy, but today it is associated with poverty and poor eating habits. King Louis XIV of France actually padded his body in an effort to look unimposing. • In the nineteenth century, feminist leaders were actually reproved for being too thin, because thinness was associated with discontent!!! Elizabeth Cady Stanton was applauded for her “mature” figure. • In 1890 women suddenly were urged to begin dieting. • During WWI, being obese was called “unpatriotic” because of concerns of food shortages. • As aggressive marketing for cheaper food and larger restaurant portions developed, obesity was seen as a lack of self-control.

Hormones related to FAT • • • Leptin is a hormone that can affect a person’s appetite. Acting during a critical period in life, leptin may influence the amount of food that an animal consumes as an adult. Later in life, leptin responds to the amount of fat in the body to affect how much food is eaten. Leptin is released by fat cells and tells the brain the amount of fat that is on the body of an animal. Animals that do not have the hormone leptin become excessively obese, while animals who are injected with leptin lose their appetites Ghrelin is a hormone with the opposite effects of leptin. It functions to increase hunger, and this has been verified in humans and rodents. It is present in many epithelial cells of the stomach. It suppresses fat utilization in adipose tissue, which causes fat to build up. Animals injected with ghrelin experience intense hunger.

Fat Nutrition Information Good Fat vs. Bad Fat The Main “Bad Fats” are Saturated Fats and Trans Fats Saturated Fat Trans Fat Mainly animal fats. Found in meat, seafood, whole-milk dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream), poultry skin, and egg yolks. They are also sometimes found in plant products such as coconut, or palm oil. Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol by raising both the "good" HDL and the "bad" LDL cholesterol. Produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen. (hydrogenation) The more hydrogenated an oil is, the harder it will be at room temperature. Commonly found in baked goods, margarines, snack foods, and processed foods. Trans fats are worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they not only raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also lower HDL (good)

Why they’re bad for you Saturated Fats: They make the body produce more cholesterol, which may raise blood cholesterol levels. Excess saturated fat is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Saturated fats stimulates the production of LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and therefore increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Note: LDL= Bad cholesterol carrier (think Lethal) HDL= Good cholesterol carrier (think Happy) Trans Fats: Lowers HDL and increases LDL. contributes to elevated blood cholesterol levels and increases heart disease risk.

Unsaturated fats are the “good fats” found in plant products. They increase HDL levels and decrease LDL levels in the blood. Poly Unsaturated Fats Found in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. Polyunsaturated fats supply essential fatty acid (EFAs). EFAs are needed for normal growth and development in children and for healthy skin. EFAs are vital to the human brain and central nervous system. They also produce hormonelike substances that help regulate blood pressure, blood clotting, and the immune system. Mono-Unsaturated Fats Found in high concentrations in avocado, canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil. They reduce triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL, which is also known as the bad carrier for cholesterol. They increase HDL, known as the good carrier for cholesterol.

Why you should eat fat The American Dietetic Association, the American Diabetic Association, and the American Heart Association all recommend people to take in up to 30% of their calorie intake. Fat is essential in our diets for absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without these vitamins, one cannot properly absorb calcium (which leads to brittle bones); blood may not form or clot properly; and, hormone production may be negatively affected. Did you know: Harvard researchers found that replacing 80 calories of carbohydrates with 80 calories of either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats lowered the risk for heart disease by about 30 to 40 percent!!

Did you know: The human brain is made up of 60% fat (mostly polyunsaturated). Two polyunsaturated fats in the brain are Arachidonic Acid (AA) made in the body from the linoleic acid in vegetable oils and high concentrations of Omega-3 fatty acid chains. Omega-3 fats are found primarily in fish and breast milk. Fish= Brain Food? Omega-3 fats can improve your intelligence!! Evidence of an effect of omega -3 polyunsaturates comes from studies which compare IQ in children who were breast-fed as infants with those fed bottled feeds which at the time were devoid of long chain polyunsaturates. The study showed an approximately 3 point difference in IQ when measured in childhood years and in the long term, having long chain omega-3 polyunsaturates in infant formulae enables the recipients to solve problems more rapidly than comparable infants raised on standard formulae. Stress and Aggression In a study done by Hamazaki in 1996, some students were given a placebo while other students were given Omega-3 tablets. The students were tested around examination days. He found that the students under the placebo started to showed increased aggression and hostility to each other as the exams approached while the students with the tablets remained calm.

The Dieticians Say… Omega-3 Fats We eat too much omega-6, and not enough omega-3. To correct this we must cut down on omega-6 and eat more omega-3. To do this we need to change our vegetable oil intake of margarine and cooking fats away from high omega-6 oils like sunflower and sesame, towards olive and rapeseed (canola)oils. Also required is an increase in the amount of the long chain omega-3 polyunsaturates in the diet. Eating more fish, and in particular more of the oil-rich fish like herring and mackerel, is the best way to do this. We should normally eat fish twice a week as a minimum goal.

The Truth about Diets The Atkins Diet • Initially prohibits Carbohydrate Intake • High Proteins Since carbohydrates are the first source of energy the body uses, restriction of carbohydrates causes the body to quickly use up all of the stored glycogen (from the breakdown of carbohydrates) for fuel and afterwards the proteins from the muscle tissue. Since the body now has to use up all of the protein in the muscles, the body enlists the liver to convert stored fat into ketones (incompletely burned fatty acids) which the brain can use for fuel instead of glucose. This causes ketosis—the brain’s crisis management system. But because of all of the protein consumption resulting in urea, there is a huge amount of ammonia being produced and the brain needs to protect itself by converting the ammonia into glutamine. The glutamine is then shuttled to the kidneys where it is broken down again into glutamine and ammonia. This is very hard on the kidneys and may eventually result in kidney damage.

Eventually, the body begins to crave carbohydrates again and the person gives in and begins to take in large amounts of muffins, cookies, pastries, and cakes thus returning the fat to be stored in the body. Why High Protein Diet Doesn’t Why “No Carbs” Diet Doesn’t Work • High protein • Your body begins to waste pushers use away as it starts to consume ketosis to proteins in the muscle cells induce eventually. • Ketosis is hard on the kidneys suppression • It only works on a short-term basis of appetite. as you will eventually need to start But Ketosis consuming carbs in order to survive only works as long as you have fat stored in your tissues (carb intake is very low). • People begin to crave carbohydrates and the minute carbohydrates are consumed, ketosis stops and appetite returns ferociously.

What Does Work? The Low-Fat Diet • This works because by decreasing high-fat intake and increasing reduced-fat intake, saturated fats are also lowered and the risk for serious diseases is thus decreased. • Fats are the easiest to convert into body fat. The body stores all fats and oils (it is never burned immediately and energy). This is the stuff (e. g. cheese) that adds inches to your stomach, hips, butt, thighs, and upper arms. Carbohydrates are much healthier than fats and can be used for fuel immediately in the body as glucose is converted into energy. • This diet is low in simple carbohydrates such as frutcose, glucose, and honey and high in complex- carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, rice (especially brown rice), beans, and legumes. • This diet is 50% complex-carbohydrates which are more difficult to break down and thus takes longer for the body to digest them—decreasing appetite. • By increasing complex carbohydrate intake and reducing high-fat intake, this diet can lower cholesterol, reduces the risk of diabetes and help combat certain cancers.