How is fat digested and absorbed




















The solution to this hurdle is bile. Bile contains bile salts, lecithin, and substances derived from cholesterol so it acts as an emulsifier. It attracts and holds onto fat while it is simultaneously attracted to and held on to by water.

Emulsification increases the surface area of lipids over a thousand-fold, making them more accessible to the digestive enzymes. Once the stomach contents have been emulsified, fat-breaking enzymes work on the triglycerides and diglycerides to sever fatty acids from their glycerol foundations. As pancreatic lipase enters the small intestine, it breaks down the fats into free fatty acids and monoglycerides.

Yet again, another hurdle presents itself. How will the fats pass through the watery layer of mucus that coats the absorptive lining of the digestive tract? As before, the answer is bile. Bile salts envelop the fatty acids and monoglycerides to form micelles. Micelles have a fatty acid core with a water-soluble exterior. This allows efficient transportation to the intestinal microvillus. Here, the fat components are released and disseminated into the cells of the digestive tract lining.

Just as lipids require special handling in the digestive tract to move within a water-based environment, they require similar handling to travel in the bloodstream. Inside the intestinal cells, the monoglycerides and fatty acids reassemble themselves into triglycerides.

Triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids form lipoproteins when joined with a protein carrier. Lipoproteins have an inner core that is primarily made up of triglycerides and cholesterol esters a cholesterol ester is a cholesterol linked to a fatty acid.

The outer envelope is made of phospholipids interspersed with proteins and cholesterol. Together they form a chylomicron, which is a large lipoprotein that now enters the lymphatic system and will soon be released into the bloodstream via the jugular vein in the neck. Cholesterols are poorly absorbed when compared to phospholipids and triglycerides. Cholesterol absorption is aided by an increase in dietary fat components and is hindered by high fiber content.

This is the reason that a high intake of fiber is recommended to decrease blood cholesterol. Foods high in fiber such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and oats can bind bile salts and cholesterol, preventing their absorption and carrying them out of the colon. If fat malabsorption persists the condition is known as steatorrhea.

Before the prepackaged food industry, fitness centers, and weight-loss programs, our ancestors worked hard to even locate a meal. Triacylglycerols, cholesterol, and phospholipids form lipoproteins when joined with a protein carrier.

Lipoproteins have an inner core that is primarily made up of triacylglycerols and cholesterol esters a cholesterol ester is a cholesterol linked to a fatty acid.

The outer envelope is made of phospholipids interspersed with proteins and cholesterol. Together they form a chylomicron, which is a large lipoprotein that now enters the lymphatic system and will soon be released into the bloodstream via the jugular vein in the neck.

Cholesterols are poorly absorbed when compared to phospholipids and triacylglycerols. Cholesterol absorption is aided by an increase in dietary fat components and is hindered by high fiber content. This is the reason that a high intake of fiber is recommended to decrease blood cholesterol.

Foods high in fiber such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and oats can bind bile salts and cholesterol, preventing their absorption and carrying them out of the colon. If fat malabsorption persists the condition is known as steatorrhea.

Before the prepackaged food industry, fitness centers, and weight-loss programs, our ancestors worked hard to even locate a meal. They made plans, not for losing those last ten pounds to fit into a bathing suit for vacation, but rather for finding food. Today, this is why we can go long periods without eating, whether we are sick with a vanished appetite, our physical activity level has increased, or there is simply no food available. Our bodies reserve fuel for a rainy day. One way the body stores fat involves the body transforms carbohydrates into glycogen that is in turn stored in the muscles for energy.

When the muscles reach their capacity for glycogen storage, the excess is returned to the liver, where it is converted into triacylglycerols and then stored as fat. In a similar manner, much of the triacylglycerols the body receives from food is transported to fat storehouses within the body if not used for producing energy.

The chylomicrons are responsible for shuttling the triacylglycerols to various locations such as the muscles, breasts, external layers under the skin, and internal fat layers of the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks where they are stored by the body in adipose tissue for future use. How is this accomplished? Recall that chylomicrons are large lipoproteins that contain a triacylglycerol and fatty-acid core. Capillary walls contain an enzyme called lipoprotein-lipase that dismantles the triacylglycerols in the lipoproteins into fatty acids and glycerol, thus enabling these to enter into the adipose cells.

Once inside the adipose cells, the fatty acids and glycerol are reassembled into triacylglycerols and stored for later use. Muscle cells may also take up the fatty acids and use them for muscular work and generating energy. As the body calls for additional energy, the adipose tissue responds by dismantling its triacylglycerols and dispensing glycerol and fatty acids directly into the blood. A study in showed that papain may help digestion and relieve symptoms such as bloating and constipation in people with irritable bowel syndrome IBS.

As mentioned, more research is still needed to further investigate supplements for fat digestion. Always talk to your doctor before taking a supplement meant to improve fat digestion. Certain pancreatic enzymes come as prescription drugs that help you digest food.

These are different from the enzymes sold by health stores. Along with adding papaya and pineapple to your diet, you may also want to consider spicing up your meals using any of the following:. A animal study found that these common spices stimulated the secretion of bile with higher amounts of bile acids in rats on a high-fat diet.

Bile plays an important role in the digestion and absorption of dietary fat. More research is still needed to understand how these spices may help improve fat digestion in humans. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and avoiding trans fat altogether.

Reading food labels is a great start. Keep in mind that many foods contain more than one type of fat. Is that why we feel lighter after doing our business? Are we actually losing weight? It turns…. Does muscle really weigh more than fat? Several natural foods and beverages have been shown to increase metabolism and promote fat loss. These 11 healthy foods can help you burn fat.

Belly fat is the most harmful fat in your body, linked to many diseases. Here are 6 simple ways to lose belly fat that are supported by science.



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