Fats or lipids enter the body through the food that we eat. There are many sources of lipids like meat fat, vegetable fat and dairy products. Fats in the body are metabolized through these simple steps.
Mouth
These foodstuffs are ground into morsels by the mouth and the teeth. Although salivary amylase is present, it does not have any action on lipids but only on carbohydrates. The fats then go down into the stomach.
Stomach
Due to the high acidity of the stomach, metabolic breakdown of fats still do not occur. Fats then move to the small intestines with the help of peristalsis.
Small intestines
Fats are then broken down into small micelles and acted upon by bile salts and bile acids coming from the bile pigment from the gall bladder. These bile salts act with co-lipase and lipase to complete the digestion of fats.
Absorption
Digestion of the fats into fatty acids occurs. Fatty acids are the simplest forms of fats. They are now absorbed by the intestinal villi and distributed where they are most needed.
Unused fats
When the person is sedentary most of his fats are not metabolized because the primary source of energy of the body are carbohydrates, so the body has to use the carbohydrates first before it utilizes fats as source of energy. That is why when a person does not exercise; fats are not burned off as energy and are therefore stored as triglycerides in the adipose tissues and the liver.
These unused fats could also form plaques in the lining of the blood vessels leading to atherosclerosis, which eventually leads to cardiovascular disorders. This is how fats in the body are metabolized
Significant points to remember:
- Meat fat is considered bad fat because they contain less protein. They are the low-density type of fats.
- Use fish fat or vegetable fat, they are safer because they contain the high density in protein type of fats.
- Exercise regularly to burn off excess carbohydrates and fats.
- Most fast foods are rich in bad Trans fats, so be judicious in selecting your food.
- Do not eat so many sweets like cakes and chocolates, because when unused, these are converted into triglycerides, which is one type of bad fat.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables to help reduce the effects of fats. Fruits and vegetables have anti-toxins and natural constituent that help the body remove impurities.
Know how your fats in the body are metabolized and stay healthy.
……….unfortunately for me, I think my fats are permanent!…lol! I’m happy to see your posts jena, they are so useful and informative……specially in class!:)
Hello Aj,
Hi there, you’re just 1 foot away from me, but anyway, I’ll still comment back. Those are not permanent fats, those are baby fats, you could eliminate them through exercise, which would be my next topic. Thanks for the patronage.
yes, 1 foot, such a short distance! i’m not a baby anymore—-fortunately……see you!
HE HE HE, you’re not a baby anymore, how true. You’re growing older and becoming wiser.
aww! I’m honestly flattered, but i still have higher ground to climb, I’m thankful for all the support you’re giving me to get there….tc!
Hello Aj,
Keep going…you’re on the right track.TC
I take issue with your paragraph about Unused Fats. First you say “most fats are not metabolized because the primary source of energy of the body are carbohydrates, so the body has to use the carbohydrates first before it utilizes fats as source of energy.” This is a True statement. The next statement is false: “That is why when a person does not exercise; fats are not burned off as energy and are therefore stored as triglycerides in the adipose tissues and the liver. This statement is false because you were talking about unused fats in the intestinal tract, not fats that were already deposited in the tissues of your body by the metabolism of carbohydrates. “Eating fats does not make you fat. Eating carbohydrates makes you fat.” Unused fats mostly just pass out of the intestine in the form of waste. A small amount of ingested fats do contribute to supporting your immune system and repairing cell damage, but they do not make you fat!
Hello Steve,
Thanks for the input, but fats are also sources of calories and are therefore stored as such, and contribute to excess body weight. Unused fats are not simply passed out. Unused fats, like cholesterol, form plaques in blood vessels, which could eventually cause a condition called atherosclerosis and other coronary heart ailments. This is the reason why the concentration of fats in the bloodstream serves as an indicator whether a person has high risk to contracting cardiac diseases.
“Fats are not deposited in the body by the metabolism of carbohydrates”, they have their own metabolism, which is through the endogenous and exogenous pathways. Even if I have not said it directly in the article, that fats could make you fat, I would add now that eating fats could also make you fat because of the triglycerides stored in your adipose adding bulk to your body weight.
My statement “That is why when a person does not exercise; fats are not burned off as energy and are therefore stored as triglycerides in the adipose tissues and the liver.” is true because when you exercise, and all your carbohydrates are exhausted, so your stored fats would now be used as a source of energy, burning them off.
Thanks for reading and taking time to comment. God bless.
The topic is inter related with other topics that it would not be enough to explain it all here. Thanks and best regards.