The technical name for dietary fat is actually "fatty acid." The chemical structure of a fatty acid is composed of a long "tail" of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The tail is hydrophobic, meaning that it repels water. This explains why oil and water never mix. Within living organisms fatty acids provide energy. They also make up part of the flexible membrane that surrounds and protects every cell in your body. Before the fatty acids can serve their function, however, the human body must first digest and metabolize them.
Fat Digestion
Each of the three main nutrients --- carbohydrates, proteins and fats --- digest in a slightly different way. Fat is generally the slowest to digest due to the time-intensive process. Bile acids from the liver first dissolve fat into smaller droplets within the watery contents of the intestines. The pancreas then creates enzymes --- which are proteins that facilitate chemical reactions --- to break down the remaining fat molecules into smaller parts of fatty acids and cholesterol. The bile acids combine with the fats and deliver them into cells known as mucosa. The small fats form back into large molecules and eventually pass into the blood for transportation throughout the body.
Fat Metabolism
The metabolism of the fatty acid usually depends upon its individual chemical structure and the precise demands of the cell at the time. One essential task of the human body is to combine fats with other molecules to form membranes, hormones and intracellular messengers. Another process combines three fatty acids together into a molecule known as a triglyceride, which is the main storage form of fat in adipose cells. However, your body can also break fats down to yield energy. This chemical equation requires the use of oxygen and a fat molecule to work. It produces carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.
Metabolism for Energy
Beta oxidation is the process by which fatty acids convert into a molecule known as acetyl CoA through a series of chemical reactions. However, acetyl CoA has one less carbon atom than its predecessor. The human body expels the remaining carbon atom, along with two oxygen atoms, as carbon dioxide. The purpose of this process is to create a molecule known as ATP, which powers muscle contractions and other chemical reactions. It is essentially the "energy molecule" of the human body. After ATP forms, oxygen reacts with any remaining hydrogen atoms to create water as a byproduct.
Weight Loss
The process of converting fatty acids into energy is similar to the process that converts proteins and carbohydrates into energy. Each of the three nutrients ends up as acetyl CoA, though they undergo different steps to get there. The difference with fat metabolism is that it can be said to "burn fat." This is a key step to losing weight. Without other sources of energy, your body will turn to stored fat to make up the deficit.
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