• Question: What are the different types of fat and how are they used?

    Asked by 292fate52 to hannahmoir, Charlotte, Majid, Richard, Sam on 8 Mar 2016. This question was also asked by Amber, MTMMCRKPOP, Sorcha Leonard.
    • Photo: Hannah Moir

      Hannah Moir answered on 8 Mar 2016:

      For humans there are different forms/types of fats. What we store as ‘fat’ in the body is called adipocytes which form adipose tissue- the fatty cells of the body.

      In terms of diet/nutrition/food the types of ‘fats’ we eat are good and bad. They are a form of energy and help us to absorb essential nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Types of fats include Saturated fat found in meats, dairy and oils and trans fats that can cause a rise in cholesterol which is not good. Trans fats are typically found in processed foods and products like crisps and biscuits. These fats are okay in moderation but not in high quantities as otherwise will lead to obesity and health complications.

    • Photo: Charlotte Green

      Charlotte Green answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      Just to add to Hannah’s great response there are also poly-unsaturated fats called Omega-3 found in fish like salmon and mackerel. Some people call these fish oils 🙂 Our bodies can not make these fats on its own so we need them in our diet as they are thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease.

    • Photo: Majid Ahmed

      Majid Ahmed answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      And to add more to Hannah’s excellent response, all of the cells within our bodies require some fat. This is because the cell membrane (the lipid bilayer – if you have studied this) needs fat to build a proper cell membrane which works effectively.

      So I hope this helps you to see that we need to have fats within our bodies and in our diet so we can live a healthy life. But importantly, it is crucial that we don’t have too much because this will lead to obesity and other diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.

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