Blood Fat Lecture
1. Cholesterol
Cholesterola. A waxy, fat-like substance
b. Found in animal products
Cholesterolc. Plants have no cholesterol
d. Needed for making:
a. cell membranes
b. hormones (testosterone, estrogen)
c. nerve coverings
CholesterolII. Does cholesterol in blood come
from the food you eat?
a. Yes and No
b. . . . is made in liver from fats and proteins you eat (genetic) 1000 mg/day
c. Americans eat an additional 500 mg/day
Cholesterold. You don’t need to consume cholesterol to stay healthy
e. Excess cholesterol collects on the inner walls of arteries. These eventually clog blood vessels
CholesterolIII. Who is at risk of having
high cholesterol?
a. 25% of Americans have high cholesterol
AND another 25% of Americans have high borderline levels
Cholesterol
b. Risk Factors1. male; OR female
over age of 50.
2. Family history of clogged arteries
3. smoking
CholesterolIV. What should blood
cholesterol level be?
a. Good <200
b. Moderate risk 200-239
c. High risk >240
CholesterolV. Dangerous to lower
cholesterol too much?
a. No, many benefits by lowering cholesterol
b. USA average - 234
c. Med. Latin America, Asian average – 150-180
d. Third World average – 100-140
Blood FatsVI. What fats are found in
our blood?
a. cholesterol – from food we eat or liver production
b. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
c. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
LDL’sVII. What do LDL’s do?
(stands for “low-density lipoproteins”; think L = “lousy”
LDL’s carry cholesterol to where it is needed and deposits the excess inside blood vessels
HDL’sVIII. What do HDL’s do? (stands
for “high-density lipoproteins”; think H = “healthy”
HDL’s clean cholesterol out of the blood vessels
“Healthy Ratio”IX. Who should worry about
blood fat levels?
a. Everyone should have a ratio of cholesterol:HDL < 5:1b. Avg male HDL = 45
c. Avg female HDL = 65before
menopause
= 45after
menopause
“Healthy Ratio”IX. 3 Examples
Cholesterol HDL Ratio
225 45 5:1
225 25 9:1
225 75 3:1
NOT BAD!
TERRIBLE!
GREAT!
AND the cholesterol level never changed! (moderate risk)
What can you do?e. How to raise HDL* and lower
LDL0
1. Lose weight*
2. Reduce cholesterol in diet0
3. Cut down on saturated fats04. Exercise regularly*
5. Don’t smoke
6. Don’t use steroids
7. Eat more fiber
FATS WE EATX. Fats in our diet
a. Saturated Fat – carbons filled with hydrogen
1. found in animal fat
2. solid at room temperature
3. blocks cells from absorbing cholesterol – remains in blood
Stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid
FATS WE EATX. Fats in our diet
a. Saturated Fat – carbons filled with hydrogen
4. Increases LDL’s
5. Easily converted to cholesterol in liver
Overall?
Stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid
Pretty bad.
FATS WE EATX. Fats in our diet
b. Polyunsaturated Fat – many carbons not filled with hydrogens
1. Vegetable oils - corn
2. Liquid at room temperature
3. Lowers HDL and LDL
Linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid
Overall? Alright.
FATS WE EATX. Fats in our diet
c. Monounsaturated fat – only 1 carbon pair not filled with hydrogens
1. Vegetable oils – olive, canola
2. Liquid at room temperature3. Lowers LDL and raises HDL
Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid
4. Liver cannot convert to cholesterol Overall? Not too
bad.
FATS WE EATX. Fats in our diet
d. Trans fat
1. Vegetable oil chemically changed by heat to be solid at room temp2. Great for increasing shelf
life of foods including margarine