These molecules include fats, oils, and waxes, and are insoluble in water.
What are lipids?
A fat with no double bonds between carbon atoms, solid at room temperature.
What is a saturated fat?
These lipids are required in the diet because the body cannot make them.
What are essential fatty acids (EFA)?
This waxy substance is needed to make hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids, but too much can cause health problems.
What is cholesterol?
Category including vitamins A, D, E, and K.
What are fat-soluble vitamins?
Long hydrocarbon chains with a carboxyl group that serve as the building blocks of fats.
What are fatty acids?
A fat with at least one double bond, usually liquid at room temperature.
What is a unsaturated fat?
Where I get Alpha-linoleic Acid (ALA), which can be converted inefficiently, into DHA and EPA within the body.
What is plant-sources?
Called the “good cholesterol,” it helps remove cholesterol from the bloodstream.
What is high-density lipoprotein (HDL)?
Fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts are rich sources of this anti-inflammatory fatty acid family.
What are Omega-3 fatty acids?
A fat molecule made of one glycerol backbone and three fatty acids.
Olive oil and avocados are high in this type of fat that has just one double C bond.
What is a monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)?
Where I find naturally-occuring DHA and EPA.
What is marine sources?
Known as “bad cholesterol,” high levels of this lipoprotein can clog arteries.
What is low-density lipoprotein (LDL)?
The process of breaking down stored triglycerides into free fatty acids for fuel.
What is lipolysis?
The tissue in the body that stores fat for insulation, cushioning, and energy reserves.
What is adipose tissue?
Omega-3s and omega-6s fall into this category of fats that have multiple double bonds.
What are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)?
Feature that distinguishes Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 fatty acids from one another.
What is the number of carbons before the double bonded carbon?
This lipoprotein, associated with trans fat consumption, carries triglycerides in the blood and can contribute to plaque buildup.
What is very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)?
The metabolic pathway that produces ketone bodies when carbohydrates are scarce.
What is ketogenesis?
This lipid has a “dual personality,” with a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tails, making up cell membranes.
What is a phospholipid?
These harmful fats are created during hydrogenation and are linked to heart disease.
What are trans fats?
This kind of omega-3 is especially important for healthy brain and eye development.
What is Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)?
A chemical process that turns oils into solid fats and creates trans fats as a byproduct.
What is hydrogenation?
Found in coconut oil and dairy, these shorter fats are digested quickly and used for fast energy.
What are medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's)?