Related topics: obesity , fat cells
Fat
hideFats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are generally triesters of glycerol and fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at normal room temperature, depending on their structure and composition. Although the words "oils", "fats", and "lipids" are all used to refer to fats, "oils" is usually used to refer to fats that are liquids at normal room temperature, while "fats" is usually used to refer to fats that are solids at normal room temperature. "Lipids" is used to refer to both liquid and solid fats, along with other related substances. The word "oil" is used for any substance that does not mix with water and has a greasy feel, such as petroleum (or crude oil) and heating oil, regardless of its chemical structure.
Fats form a category of lipid, distinguished from other lipids by their chemical structure and physical properties. This category of molecules is important for many forms of life, serving both structural and metabolic functions. They are an important part of the diet of most heterotrophs (including humans). Fats or lipids are broken down in the body by enzymes called lipases produced in the pancreas.
Examples of edible animal fats are lard (pig fat), fish oil, and butter or ghee. They are obtained from fats in the milk, meat and under the skin of the animal. Examples of edible plant fats are peanut, soya bean, sunflower, sesame, coconut, olive, and vegetable oils. Margarine and vegetable shortening, which can be derived from the above oils, are used mainly for baking. These examples of fats can be categorized into saturated fats and unsaturated fats.
For more information about Fat, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with fat
Limiting fructose may boost weight loss
Jul 24, 2008 |
4.1 / 5 (30) |
2
One of the reasons people on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly, according to a researcher at UT Southwestern Medical ...
Researchers study how pistachios may improve heart health
Sep 26, 2008 |
4.5 / 5 (27) |
1
Going green may be heart healthy if the green you choose is pistachio nuts, according to researchers at Penn State who conducted the first study to investigate the way pistachios lower cholesterol.
Why a short run is better than a long walk
Dec 02, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (22) |
2
(PhysOrg.com) -- Using the latest technology, researchers are uncovering evidence of exactly how major a role activity plays in the battle to keep obesity at bay. In new report published in the British Me ...
Disabling enzyme allows mice to gorge without becoming obese, new study finds
Jan 11, 2009 |
5 / 5 (13) |
1
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have identified a new enzyme that plays a far more important role than expected in controlling the breakdown of fat. In a new study to be published Jan. 11 in the journal ...
A high-fat diet could promote the development of Alzheimer's
Oct 28, 2008 |
4.3 / 5 (14) |
0
A team of Université Laval researchers has shown that the main neurological markers for Alzheimer's disease are exacerbated in the brains of mice fed a diet rich in animal fat and poor in omega-3s. Details of the study—which ...
Common allergy drug reduces obesity and diabetes in mice
Jul 26, 2009 |
4.6 / 5 (12) |
2
Crack open the latest medical textbook to the chapter on type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes, and you'll be hard pressed to find the term "immunology" anywhere. This is because metabolic conditions and immunologic conditions ...
Even modest exercise can reduce negative effects of belly fat
Apr 23, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
0
A new University of Illinois study suggests that moderate amounts of exercise alone can reduce the inflammation in visceral fat—belly fat, if you will—that has been linked with metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors ...
'Healthy' individuals may be at risk for heart disease
Sep 08, 2008 |
4.4 / 5 (10) |
0
In the face of a growing obesity epidemic in the United States, researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have new study results that indicate that how much fat a person has is not as important as where ...
Research identifies new link between tart cherries and risk factors for heart disease
Oct 22, 2008 |
4.4 / 5 (10) |
0
New research continues to link tart cherries, one of today's hottest "Super Fruits," to lowering risk factors for heart disease. In addition to lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation, the study being presented by ...
Apple or pear shape is not main culprit to heart woes -- it's liver fat
Dec 04, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (9) |
0
For years, pear-shaped people who carry weight in the thighs and backside have been told they are at lower risk for high blood pressure and heart disease than apple-shaped people who carry fat in the abdomen. But new findings ...
Joslin study identifies protein that produces 'good' fat
Aug 20, 2008 |
4.6 / 5 (9) |
0
A study by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center has shown that a protein known for its role in inducing bone growth can also help promote the development of brown fat, a "good" fat that helps in the expenditure of energy ...
Ice cream may target the brain before your hips, study suggests
Sep 14, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (8) |
2
Blame your brain for sabotaging your efforts to get back on track after splurging on an extra scoop of ice cream or that second burger during Friday night's football game.
Obesity genes revealed
Aug 11, 2008 |
4.6 / 5 (8) |
0
A study of 228 women has revealed genetic variants responsible for body shape. Based on work in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, research published today in the open access journal BMC Genetics identifies natural variat ...
Why do eyelids sag with age? New study answers mystery
Aug 26, 2008 |
4.6 / 5 (8) |
0
Many theories have sought to explain what causes the baggy lower eyelids that come with aging, but UCLA researchers have now found that fat expansion in the eye socket is the primary culprit. As a result, ...
Testosterone and body fat are controlled by the same genes
Aug 05, 2008 |
4.4 / 5 (8) |
0
Genes that control percentage of body fat are also responsible for circulating levels of testosterone in men, research published in the latest edition of Clinical Endocrinology shows. The research shows a 23% overlap between ...
