Un/Saturated Fats Digestion and Caloric Count

[zut212]

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Unsaturated and Saturated Fats (UF and SF, respectively) both have 9 kcal/g.

But wait a minute...isn't SF what clogs up our arteries? How is this possible when it gets metabolized for energy purposes? The fat - either SF or UF - gets some how converted to glucose, ultimately.

So if the SF does not get the opportunity to clog our hearts, this means that we have consumed it, and now, it is CO2 and H2O. If it doesn't get digested, than it clogs our heart.

Why is it that some times SF gets digested at 9 kcal/g, but other times, it doesn't get digested (but clogs our hearts)?

 

[Nuckles]

Analogy time

A suburbanite wakes up and drives to work on a freeway. To his dismay, the freeway is congested with other suburbanites driving their cars and he cannot make it in time. Unfortunately, emergency vehicles are also stuck in traffic and cannot perform their duties, leading to an unfortunate outbreak of fires all over the city. This leads to the city to completely die. A few of the suburbanites escape this mess and eventually make it to their jobs and perform their normal daily functions.

Now, fats are processed by the liver, but to get there they go through the blood. In order to get to the liver to be metabolized (do their job), they have to go through the body's highway (blood), and if fat levels are too high, this can lead to a blockage over time (traffic jam). Since flow of blood is essential for life, this stoppage can be very serious, as in coronary artery disease (fires all across town).

Capiche?

 

[PiBond]

Unsaturated and Saturated Fats (UF and SF, respectively) both have 9 kcal/g.

But wait a minute...isn't SF what clogs up our arteries? How is this possible when it gets metabolized for energy purposes? The fat - either SF or UF - gets some how converted to glucose, ultimately.

So if the SF does not get the opportunity to clog our hearts, this means that we have consumed it, and now, it is CO2 and H2O. If it doesn't get digested, than it clogs our heart.

Why is it that some times SF gets digested at 9 kcal/g, but other times, it doesn't get digested (but clogs our hearts)?

The fat doesn't get converted to glucose. Instead, it's broken down via beta oxidation into acetyl units that can be fed into the Krebs cycle.

 

[zut212]

Analogy time

A suburbanite wakes up and drives to work on a freeway. To his dismay, the freeway is congested with other suburbanites driving their cars and he cannot make it in time. Unfortunately, emergency vehicles are also stuck in traffic and cannot perform their duties, leading to an unfortunate outbreak of fires all over the city. This leads to the city to completely die. A few of the suburbanites escape this mess and eventually make it to their jobs and perform their normal daily functions.

Now, fats are processed by the liver, but to get there they go through the blood. In order to get to the liver to be metabolized (do their job), they have to go through the body's highway (blood), and if fat levels are too high, this can lead to a blockage over time (traffic jam). Since flow of blood is essential for life, this stoppage can be very serious, as in coronary artery disease (fires all across town).

Capiche?

Very good. I appreciate this. It sounds as if the harmful effects of fats are caused PRIOR to them going to the liver, and not AFTER they are processed in the liver.

 

[ksmi117]

SDN is not for homework help. Closing.