Paper Example on Fat: Essential Nutrient for Optimal Health

Introduction

Fats are essential nutrients in the human body. Lipids undergo various metabolic processes before they are absorbed into the body parts. They are either in liquid or solid form. In liquid form, they are referred to as oil. In this paper, it is essential to analyze the chemical structure of fat, it's the role in the body, suggested dietary intake targets, and food sources that provide fats. Moreover, is crucial to analyze the nutritional information of two different articles, and explain whether they are good or bad. Additionally, it is essential to include comments on the fat available in the provided meal.

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The Chemical Structure of Fats

Carbon is the basic element of fats. The carbon atoms can bond with each other to form molecules that have along the chain. Moreover, the carbon atoms can react and combine with other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, iodine, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which are essential in the formation of fat. Fat is mainly a mixture of triglycerides (Wahlqvist, 2011).

(Wahlqvist, 2011)

The glycerol molecule is made up of three carbon atoms, five hydrogen atoms, and three hydroxyl groups. Each of the three carbon atoms has four linkages. Three fatty acids bond with glycerin molecule to form a triglyceride (Wahlqvist, 2011).

(Wahlqvist, 2011)

In the diagram above R represents the long-chain molecules such as fatty acids. Incase two fatty acids bond with fatty acids, they form a diglyceride. When an only single fatty acid is attached to fatty acids, they form a monoglyceride (Wahlqvist, 2011). The major sources of fats are characterized by triglycerides (Beck, 2012).

Fat is either in liquid form or solid at room temperature. In liquid form, it is referred to as oils or unsaturated fat. However, those in solid form it is known as saturated fat. The number of carbon atoms and the chain length greatly influence whether fats will be in solid or liquid form. Also, the processing method used may determine the structure of the fat (Wahlqvist, 2011).

(Wahlqvist, 2011)

As illustrated in the diagram, the structure of the fatty acids has four linkages. The "R" represents the balance of the molecule. All fatty acids are made up of the carboxyl group which is represented as COOH. It bonds with glycerine to form monoglyceride, diglyceride or triglyceride (Wahlqvist, 2011).

In unsaturated fatty acids have two loose carbon linkages between a pair of carbon atoms in a molecule. The double bond does not make a stronger connection between the carbons. The reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with hydrogen breaks the double linkage from a saturated fatty acid (Wahlqvist, 2011).

Digestion and metabolism of Fats

The digestion of fats begins in the mouth. Chewing enables the emulsifiers and digestive juices to break down fats into triglycerides and phospholipids. Enzyme lingual lipase and together with phospholipids which act as emulsifies, facilitate the breakdown of fats into tiny droplets and which are separated from the water-soluble solution (Enzymedica, 2018).

In the stomach, gastric lipase breaks down enzyme lipase, triglycerides into diglycerides and fatty acids. He churning and contraction of the stomach and, and the action of diglycerides as emulsifiers, facilitates the dispersion of at molecules. The bile juice in the stomach acts as an emulsifier that increases the surface area of fats. The fat molecules become more accessible to the digestive enzymes that break down the triglycerides into sever fatty acids (Enzymedica, 2018).

In the small intestines, the pancreatic lipase breaks the triglycerides and diglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides. The bile juice coats the fatty acids and monoglycerides to form soluble water substances called micelles that are transported into the intestinal microvilli. Inside the intestinal cells, the fatty acids and mono glycerol resemble into triglycerides. The triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol join with a protein carrier to form chylomicrons that enter the lymphatic system, and they are then deposited into other body parts such as the adipose tissues and the liver (Enzymedica, 2018).

The Role of Fats in the Body

Fats are an essential nutrient in the human body. They provide the body with energy. Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy, however, they are depleted, and fat is broken down to provide the body with energy. Fats contain a large number of calories that provide the body with energy (State Government of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health & Human Services, 2019).

Moreover, some vitamins rely on fats for absorption. Vitamin A, D, E and K cannot function well without the daily intake of fats in the body. Also, fats help to maintain body temperatures and provide insulation properties (State Government of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health & Human Services 2019).

Suggested Dietary Intakes

Excessive intake of fat is unhealthy for the human body. Therefore, it is essential to track the fat intake. According to the Australian Dietary Guideline, it recommends that people should limit the consumption of saturated fats such as processed meat, burgers, fried food, chips, cakes, pastries, and pies. Moreover, people should use polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as oils, spreads, nut butter, pastes, and avocado over unsaturated fats such as cooking margarine. However, children below 2 years should not take low fats diet (State Government of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health & Human Services, 2019).

Food Sources that provide Fats

Sources of fats are divided into good and bad fats. Healthy lipids are beneficial for human health. They categorized as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats include; olive, canola, peanut, avocado, olives, nuts, and peanut butter. Polyunsaturated fats include; sunflower, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, soymilk, and tofu (State Government of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health & Human Services, 2019).

Unhealthy fats are those that are considered to have negative impacts on the human body. They are categorized into trans fats and saturated fats; Sources of trans fats include; commercially baked pastries, packed snack foods, stick margarine, and fried foods. Saturated foods include; red meat, chicken meat, dairy whole products and ice creams (State Government of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health & Human Services, 2019)

Nutritional Literacy

DAA Article; Fat: to Cut or Not to Cut? That is the QuestionThe article describes the categories of fat. It is a credible article because of the following reasons; the information on the websites has been provided by a registered organization; The Dieticians Association of Australia. The information was published in 2019 and therefore it is up to date. The information provided contains traceable responses. Moreover, the website is managed by experts in the field of medicine who have a vast knowledge of nutrition and diet. The contributors have a large interest in the field of nutrition because they provide nutritional advice to individuals.

Mercola Article; Cholesterol does not cause Heart DiseaseThe website is not a credible source of nutritional information because of various reasons. The website draws simple conclusions drawn from complex researches. The arguments about cholesterol are too good to be true. They claim that there is no scientific evidence that shows that there is any correlation between cholesterol and heart diseases. The contributors deal with organic products, and therefore, they are not experts in the field of nutrition. The contributors are not members of a credible body.

24-Hour Food Record for Adult Female 25 Years Old

Breakfast

2 weetbix + 1 teaspoon sugar

cup (125mls) whole milk

2 slices whole-grain bread toast with butter.

1 tablespoon jam

Morning

1 apple

small individual packet crisps

Lunch

2 white bread (4 slices) sandwiches with butter and salami (2 slices)

can of coke (375mls)

Afternoon

100g tub vanilla yogurt (full fat)

Evening meal

200g oven-baked fish fillets

cup oven-baked beer battered fries

1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables

1 small apple pie

2 scoops ice cream

Evening and/ or bedtime

2 chocolate biscuits

1 cup whole milk + milo powder

The above-provided meal is rich in the high content of unhealthy fats. The food is rich in saturated fats such as dairy milk products, fried foods, butter, milk powder, and ice cream. The meal should include low milk fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.

References

Wahlqvist, M. (Ed.), (2011). Food and nutrition: food and health systems in Australia and New Zealand (3rd ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Beck, E. (2012). Essentials in Human Nutrition. 4th edition edited by MannJ and TruswellS (eds). Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012, 640 pages (paperback), $76.95, ISBN-10: 0199566348. Nutrition & Dietetics, 69(4), 316-316. doi:10.1111/1747-0080.12001

In Tapsell, L. (2019). Food, nutrition, and health. Docklands, Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Whitney, E. N., Cameron-Smith, D., Crowe, T., Walsh, A., & Rady, R. S. (2014). Understanding nutrition. South Melbourne, Vic. Cengage Learning.

Enzymedica. (2018)Enzymes for Fat Digestion. (2019). Retrieved 13 October 2019, from https://enzymedica.com/blogs/naturaldigestivehealth/enzymes-for-fat-digestion

State Government of Victoria, Australia, Department of Health & Human Services. (2019). Fats and oils. (2018). Retrieved 13 October 2019, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/fats-and-oils