Medical Xpress

Researchers explore how changes in diet alter microbiome in artificial intestine

Using an artificial intestine they created, researchers have shown that the microbiome can quickly adapt from the bacterial equivalent of a typical western diet to one composed exclusively of dietary fats. That adaptation ...

Sep 21, 2018

Diabetes

Anti-inflammatory protein promotes healthy gut bacteria to curb obesity

Scientists from the UNC School of Medicine discovered that the anti-inflammatory protein NLRP12 normally helps protect mice against obesity and insulin resistance when they are fed a high-fat diet. The researchers also reported ...

Sep 19, 2018

Overweight & Obesity

Strength-based exercises could help child obesity fight, study finds

Encouraging young people to do strength-based exercises—such as squats, push ups and lunges—could play a key role in tackling child obesity, research suggests.

Sep 19, 2018

Fat

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are generally triesters of glycerol and fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at normal room temperature, depending on their structure and composition. Although the words "oils", "fats", and "lipids" are all used to refer to fats, "oils" is usually used to refer to fats that are liquids at normal room temperature, while "fats" is usually used to refer to fats that are solids at normal room temperature. "Lipids" is used to refer to both liquid and solid fats, along with other related substances. The word "oil" is used for any substance that does not mix with water and has a greasy feel, such as petroleum (or crude oil) and heating oil, regardless of its chemical structure.

Fats form a category of lipid, distinguished from other lipids by their chemical structure and physical properties. This category of molecules is important for many forms of life, serving both structural and metabolic functions. They are an important part of the diet of most heterotrophs (including humans). Fats or lipids are broken down in the body by enzymes called lipases produced in the pancreas.

Examples of edible animal fats are lard (pig fat), fish oil, and butter or ghee. They are obtained from fats in the milk, meat and under the skin of the animal. Examples of edible plant fats are peanut, soya bean, sunflower, sesame, coconut, olive, and vegetable oils. Margarine and vegetable shortening, which can be derived from the above oils, are used mainly for baking. These examples of fats can be categorized into saturated fats and unsaturated fats.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA

News tagged with fat

Related topics: obesity · fat cells · fatty acids · diet · body mass index

Researchers explore how changes in diet alter microbiome in artificial intestine

Anti-inflammatory protein promotes healthy gut bacteria to curb obesity

Strength-based exercises could help child obesity fight, study finds