Lira University

Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Public Health
Bachelor of Science in Public Health Year III 2021/2022

PHL: 3102 Nutrition

Lecture material
Bonny Aloka (MSc Human Nutrition, 0779208745)
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Lipids
• Organic compounds composed of a carbon skeleton with hydrogen & oxygen substitutions

• Most abundant lipids are sterols or esters of fatty acids with various alcohols like glycerol &
cholesterol

• Lipid is a family of organic compounds that includes triglycerides (fats & oils), phospholipids
& sterols

• The smallest unit of triglyceride include three fatty acids & a glycerol
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Lipids –Digestion
• In the mouth, fat digestion starts off slowly with some hard fats beginning to melt as they
reach body temperature

• Salivary gland releases lingual lipase enzyme (more active in infants than adults)

• In infants, it digests the short- & medium-chain fatty acids found in milk

• In the stomach, strong muscle contractions propel the stomach contents toward the pyloric
sphincter
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Lipids –Digestion
• This churning action grinds the solid pieces into finer particles, mixes the chyme, &
disperses the fat into small droplets

• These actions help to expose the fat for attack by the gastric lipase enzyme that performs
best in the acidic environment of the stomach (less digestion though)

• Entry into small intestine triggers the release of the hormone CCK, which signals the
gallbladder to release its stores of bile
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Lipids –Digestion
• Ingredient for bile is bile acid, often pairs up with amino acid

• The amino acid end is attracted to water & the sterol end is attracted to fat

• Improves bile’s ability to act as an emulsifier, drawing fat molecules into the surrounding
watery fluids

• Lipase enzymes remove one, then the other, of each triglyceride’s outer fatty acids, leaving
a monoglyceride
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Lipids –Absorption
• Digested triglycerides (glycerol, short- & medium-chain fatty acids) can diffuse easily into
the intestinal cells

• They are absorbed directly into the bloodstream

• Larger molecules (the monoglycerides & long-chain fatty acids) merge into spherical
complexes, micelles
• This permits solubility in the watery digestive fluids & transportation to the intestinal cells
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Lipids –Absorption
• Upon arrival, the lipid contents of the micelles diffuse into the intestinal cells

• Once inside, the monoglycerides and long-chain fatty acids are reassembled into new
triglycerides

• Within the intestinal cells, the newly made triglycerides & lipids (cholesterol &
phospholipids) are packed with protein into transport vehicles, chylomicrons
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Lipids –Absorption
• Intestinal cells then release the chylomicrons into the lymphatic system

• Chylomicrons glide through the lymph until they reach a point of entry into the bloodstream
at the thoracic duct near the heart

• The blood carries these lipids to the rest of the body for immediate use or storage
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Lipids –Transport in the body

• Chylomicrons are only one of several clusters of lipids and proteins that are used as
transport vehicles for fats

• As a group, these vehicles are known as lipoproteins

• They solve the body’s challenge of transporting fat through the watery bloodstream

• The body makes four main types of lipoproteins, distinguished by their size & density
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Lipids –Transport in the body

• Chylomicrons are the largest & least dense of the lipoproteins

• Transport derived lipids (mostly triglycerides) from the small intestine (via the lymph system)
to the rest of the body

• They get smaller & smaller

• Special protein receptors on the liver cells recognize & remove the remnants from the blood
• The liver cells first dismantle them, then either use or recycle the pieces
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Lipids –Transport in the body

• Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) –lipoprotein made primarily by liver cells

• Transport lipids to various tissues in the body (composed of TAG)

• As VLDL travel through the body, cells remove triglycerides, causing shrinkage

• As VLDL lose triglycerides, cholesterol predominates & LP density increases

• The VLDL becomes a Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)

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Lipids –Transport in the body

• Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the type of lipoprotein derived from VLDL

• They are composed primarily of cholesterol

• Circulate throughout the body, making their contents available to the cells of all tissues

• Special LDL receptors on the liver cells removes LDL from circulation

• LDL is a bad cholesterol

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Lipids –Transport in the body

• High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) this is a lipoprotein made by the liver

• Remove cholesterol from the cells & carries it back to the liver for recycling or disposal

• Also have anti-inflammatory properties that seem to keep atherosclerotic plaque from
breaking apart & causing heart attacks
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Lipids –Health implications of LDL & HDL

• The blood cholesterol linked to heart disease is LDL cholesterol

• Elevated HDL represent cholesterol returning from the rest of the body to the liver for
breakdown & excretion

• High LDL cholesterol is associated with a high risk of heart attack

• High HDL cholesterol seems to have a protective effect

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Lipids –Fatty acids (saturated & un saturated)

• Main components of dietary fat or lipids are fatty acids varying in length from one to more
than 30 carbon atoms

• Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with the structure RCOOH

• R is H in HCOOH, CH3 in CH3COOH, or else a chain of one to over 30 CH2 groups terminated
by a CH3 group

• The basic rule for the abbreviations in naming fatty acids is that there are three parts
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Lipids –Fatty acids (saturated & un saturated)

• Number of carbon atoms, number of double bonds & position of the first double bond

• Common dietary saturated fatty acid palmitate is 16:0 because it has 16 carbons & no
double bonds

• Common dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid linoleate is 18:2n-6 (has 18 carbons, 2 double
bonds & the first double bond is at the sixth carbon from the methyl-terminal (n-6))
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Lipids –Fatty acids (saturated & un saturated)

• SFA is a fatty acid carrying the maximum number of H atoms for e.g. stearic acid

• SFAs eaten in the diet tends to raise the level of blood cholesterol

• People advised to control their total fat intake esp. saturated fat in takes
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Lipids –Fatty acids (saturated & un saturated)

• Unsaturated fatty acid refers to a fatty acid that lacks H & has at least one double bond between C
atoms

• A fatty acid that lacks two H has one double bond is mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) e.g. oleic
acid

• The ones that lack 4 or more H atoms having more than one double bond are called poly
unsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) e.g. linoleic & linolenic acids
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Lipids –Fatty acids (essential & non-essential)

• Essential FAs are the ones needed by the body but not made by it in amounts sufficient to meet
physiological needs
• E.g. linoleic acid (18-carbon ω-6 FA) & linolenic acid (18-carbon ω-3 FA)

• ω-3 FAs help to prevent blood clots, protect against irregular heartbeats & lower blood
pressure

• Main dietary source is the fatty fish (also soybean oil)

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Lipids –Fatty acids; naming

• Differ not only in the length of their chains & their degree of saturation, but also in the
locations of their double bonds

• Chemists identify polyunsaturated fatty acids by the methyl (CH3); omega end

• The methyl end do not change as fatty acids grow longer

• Lengthening occurs by adding carbon atoms at the acid end of the chain (delta)
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Lipids –Fatty acids; naming

• A PUFA with its first double bond three carbons away from the methyl end is an omega-3
fatty acid e.g. linolenic acid

• An omega-6 fatty acid is a PUFA with its first double bond six carbons away from the
methyl end e.g. linoleic acid

• MUFA tend to belong to the omega-9 group, with their first (and only) double bond nine
carbons away from the methyl end e.g. oleic acid
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Lipids –Roles of triglycerides & fatty acids (lipids) in the body

• Provide insulation against temperature extremes, as fat is a bad conductor of heat

• Gives protection to vital body organs against shock e.g. the heart

• Help in absorption & utilization of fat soluble vitamin A, D, E, & K

• Deliver flavour, aroma and tenderness to food products especially meat

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Lipids –Roles of triglycerides & fatty acids (lipids) in the body

• Slow down digestion, adding satiety & a sense of fullness

• Are useful source of energy in the body especially where carbohydrates have been
depleted

• Support brain development especially in infants

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Lipids –Health effects of lipids

• Elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood means a serious trouble for the heart & arteries

• Dietary cholesterol is also linked to cancer though the evidence is weak

• On a positive note, omega three fatty acids reduces the risk of heart diseases

• Omega three fatty acids may also help prevent cancer

• Recommendation: Fat should contribute only 20-35% of the total daily energy intake
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Lipids –Sterols in foods

• Both plant & animal foods contain sterols

• Cholesterol is found only in animal foods –meat, eggs, fish, poultry & dairy products

• These foods generally are also sources of saturated fats

• E.g. eggs contains more than 200mg of cholesterol –all in the yolk
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Water
• Essential & abundant forms the larger portion of every body tissue

• It is always ignored because just like air it is everywhere

• The body needs more water each day than any other nutrient

• Provides the environment in which almost everybody activities are conducted

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Water –Functions in the body

• Carries nutrients and waste products throughout the body

• Maintains the structure of large molecules such as proteins & glycogen

• Participates in metabolic reactions

• Serves as the solvent for minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose

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Water –Functions in the body

• Acts as a lubricant and cushion around joints and inside the eyes, the spinal cord

• In pregnancy, the amniotic sac surrounding the foetus in the womb

• Aids in the regulation of normal body temperature, as the evaporation of sweat from the
skin removes excess heat from the body

• Maintains blood volume

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Water –Functions in the body

• Water comes abundantly in foods & beverages (apart from pure water)

• Water is generated from energy yielding substances in foods during metabolism

• The recommendation for water is about 1.5-2 litres per day