In-depth understanding of fatty acids, cholesterol and other lipids

lipids

Lipids are also called lipids. It includes two types of substances. One category is fat, also known as neutral fat, which is a triglyceride composed of one molecule of glycerol and three molecules of fatty acids. The other type is lipids, which have different chemical structure from fats but similar physical and chemical properties. The more important lipids in nutrition include phospholipids, glycolipids, cholesterol, lipoprotein protein supplement products, protein supplement information, etc. Since most lipids are fat, lipids account for only 5% and often exist with fat, lipids are often commonly referred to as fats in nutrition.

fatty acid

Fatty acids are a class of compounds composed of three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are the main component of neutral fats, phospholipids and glycolipids. According to the length of the carbon chain in the molecular structure of fatty acids, they are divided into three categories: short-chain fatty acid carbon chains have less than 6 carbon atoms, medium-chain fatty acid carbon chains have 6 - 12 carbon atoms, and long-chain fatty acid carbon chains have more than 12 carbon atoms. Most of the fatty acids contained in general foods are long-chain fatty acids. According to the number of double bonds between carbon atoms in the carbon chain, fatty acids can be divided into three categories: monounsaturated fatty acids with one double bond, polyunsaturated fatty acids with more than one double bond, and saturated fatty acids without double bonds. Fats rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature. Most of them are vegetable oils and vegetable oil products. Vegetable oil information, such as peanut oil, corn oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, etc. Fats mainly composed of saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature, and are mostly animal fats, such as butter, sheep oil, lard, etc. However, there are exceptions. For example, although deep-sea fish oil is animal fat, it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as 20-carbon-5-enoic acid EPA and 22-carbon-6-enoic acid DHA, so it is liquid at room temperature. The following table shows the fatty acid composition of some commonly used oils.

essential fatty acids

There are more than 40 fatty acids found in nature. There are several fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by the body itself and must be supplied by food, which are called essential fatty acids. In the past, three polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid, were all considered essential fatty acids. Research in recent years has proved that only linoleic acid and linolenic acid are essential fatty acids, while arachidonic acid can be synthesized by the body itself using linoleic acid. The following table 1. It is an important component of cell membranes. Dermatitis occurs when it is lacking. Nutritional information for children and adolescents also affects the growth and development of nutritional products for children. 2. It is a raw material for synthesizing phospholipids and prostaglandins. It is also related to the production of sperm cells. 3. Promote the metabolism of cholesterol and prevent cholesterol from depositing on the liver and blood vessel walls. 4. Protect skin products and skin information damage caused by radiation.

cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of lipid. Its important physiological