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Holistic weight reduction - Part7 - The Biochemistry of Metabolism: Fat
PROTEIN METABOLISM: Fat is present in all animal tissues, in nuts and in milk. Oil is obtained by extracting fatty acids from nuts and seeds. Fatty acids occur in three different forms called saturated, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated acids. While the nutritional value of these different fatty acids differs a great deal, their energy density is merely a function of the number of carbon atoms present. Short chain fatty acids as present in butter and long chain fatty acids present in seed oils differ in the number of carbon atoms present in their respective molecules, but per gram of fat, there is no difference in their energy content. Neutral fat or triglyceride, the form in which most animal fat is found in human diet has to be broken down into the respective fatty acids before they can be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Fat is emptied slowly from the stomach and therefore its presence in food reduces the sensation of hunger that is induced when the stomach is empty, often called ‘hunger pangs’. Bile from the gall bladder and an enzyme called lipase from the pancreas are necessary for this purpose. Bile from the gall bladder emulsifies the fatty acids and makes their absorption into lymphatic channels of the intestinal tract easier. From there the emulsified fat is transported into the blood stream via the veins of the alimentary tract, the lymph channels and the thoracic duct. Most of the emulsified fat, called chylomicra, is absorbed into the blood stream and passes through the liver where it is mainly converted into neutral fat and sent into the adipose tissue for storage. An enzyme converts part of the neutral fat present in the blood stream into fatty acids once again before they are taken up by working muscles including the heart where it is immediately catabolized for energy production. Small amounts of energy are stored in muscles as triglyceride, along with glycogen to act as an immediately and locally available energy resource. Part of the fatty acids taken up by the liver is converted to other forms of molecules such as cholesterol and phospholipids which are used in repairing old and in building new cell membranes. In human beings, there is no upper limit to the amount of fats that can be present in the blood stream and there is no mechanism similar to the one that is available in the case of glucose, to excrete excess amounts of fat out of the body. Large amounts of fat can be deposited around organs and between cells of muscles as can be seen in animal tissue. Unfortunately molecules derived from excess fat leads to many illnesses that are mediated through the toxic effect of such compounds on the blood vessels of many organs. Once the fat reaches the adipose tissue, most of which is located under the easily and excessively stretchable organ of the body called skin, it stays in a relatively inactive form, except during periods when energy demands of the body cannot be adequately met by carbohydrates present in the blood stream as glucose or in storage form as glycogen. Under such circumstances, neutral fat present in the adipose tissue is converted into fatty acids and released into the blood stream where it is available for the use of muscle tissues including the heart for increased physical activity. The hormones that initiate the conversion of triglyceride into fatty acids are noradrenaline and adrenaline and they do so by activating an enzyme present in the adipose tissue. It is worth noting that adrenaline is also the hormone that converts glycogen into glucose, so that mobilization of both glucose and fatty acids take place simultaneously when energy demands are increased beyond what is locally available in each cell and the blood stream. It is important to note that noradrenaline and adrenaline are also the hormones, which are released into the blood during emotional stress explaining why periods of emotional distress are associated with higher amounts of fat derived molecules in the blood stream. Adipose tissue is a very good insulating material with a high R factor, which means that its capacity to prevent heat loss from the body is high. Adipose tissue also plays a role in temperature regulation of the body by constantly breaking down triglyceride into fatty acids and then re-synthesizing it into neutral fat once again. This continuous recycling of fats produces thermal energy, which helps to keep the body warm. Hibernating animals load up with fatty foods, before winter so that their metabolism and body temperature can be maintained through the accumulation and subsequent breakdown of fats, an unnecessary habit for non-hibernating human beings! About the Author : Abe Kurien MD, is a proponent of holistic medicine. He writes profusely on subjects of Weight reduction. His enlightening articles can be found on the smatix weight reduction section : Health and Nutrition Guide
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