Metabolism
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Fats and oils - are all fats the same?
Objectives
By the end of this exercise you should be able to:
Explain why there is a need for fat in the diet, and how a high fat diet contributes to the development of obesity
Describe the different classes of physiologically important lipids
Explain what is meant by saturated, mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, state the relative amounts of each that are considered desirable in the diet, and describe the effects of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids on serum cholesterol
Explain the importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membrane phospholipids
Explain what is meant by cis-trans isomerism and the problems associated with an excessive intake of trans-fatty acids
Explain the shorthand notation for naming fatty acids and the importance of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids