Lipids are fatty, waxy, or oily molecules vital to several biological activities and act as the building blocks of all living cells. Lipids assist in regulating hormones, transmitting nerve impulses, cushioning organs, and storing energy as body fat.
Phospholipids, sterols (including several types of cholesterol), and triglycerides (which account for over 95% of lipids in food) are the three primary lipid categories. Higher lipids are found in fatty foods, animal fats, and dairy items such as cream, butter, and cheese.
Even though lipids are essential to good health, overeating can contribute to disorders such as atherosclerosis (“hardening of the arteries”), hypertension (high blood pressure), and heart disease.
The importance of Lipids is that they are essential fats that perform many functions in the human body. There are three primary forms of lipids.
- Triglycerides (commonly known as fats) comprise more than 95% of dietary lipids. Triglycerides are lipids in foods such as edible oil, butter, beef fat, avocados, olives, corn, or nuts. Triglycerides produce insulation that keeps you warm and a cushioning layer that protects your inside organs. They also influence how the body utilises vitamins. Unburned calories are transformed into triglycerides and stored for later use. The body can then utilise these free fatty acids to produce energy. If you consistently consume more calories than you burn or consume an excessive amount of fatty foods, your triglyceride level may become excessive and constitute a health danger.
- Phospholipids account for less than 2% of dietary lipids. Triglyceride derivatives are phospholipids. They are similar to them but differ somewhat on a molecular scale. Because half of each molecule is liquid and the other half is not, they behave differently than triglycerides. They form dual membranes on cell membranes, with water-soluble molecules on the exterior and water-insoluble molecules on the interior. These lipids are responsible for the insulation and protection of cells.
- Steroids are the most prevalent lipid type. Perhaps the most well-known steroid is cholesterol. In addition to the sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone, hormones also include adrenaline, cortisol, and progesterone. Every cell in the human body requires cholesterol, the most prevalent steroid lipid. The body produces most cholesterol, with only a minor amount coming from meals. It contributes to cell healing and the production of new cells. However, excess cholesterol is harmful. When it mixes with other substances in the blood, it can form arterial plaque. The presence of elevated cholesterol levels raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Among their many roles, lipids include.
- Component structural of the cells.
- protecting nerve cells
- Energy storage (in the form of fat).
- Cellular support and assistance with critical functions.
- Contributing to producing hormones such as oestrogen, testosterone, and cortisol.
- Assisting the body in absorbing specific vitamins.
- Vitamin D contributes to immunological health and bone health. The body cannot use vitamins without lipids. 9 Lipids also aid in the body’s absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin E strengthens the immune system, prevents blood clots, and shields cells against disease-causing unstable chemicals (free radicals). Vitamin A is critical for maintaining a healthy immune system, eyesight, and reproduction.
Lipids Main Function
Lipids are very crucial biologically. Lipids main functions are the following.
Protective and insulating: There are two forms of fat within the body: visceral and subcutaneous. Vital organs, including the heart, kidney, and liver, are surrounded by visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat, or fat beneath the skin, exempts the body from excessive temperatures and aids in maintaining a stable internal thermostat. As our hands and buttocks frequently come into contact with harsh surfaces, this prevents friction. It also provides the additional padding necessary for physically demanding activities such as ice or roller skating, horseback riding, and snowboarding.
Regulating and Signaling: Lipids are a component of the structure of the cell membrane, contributing to its fluidity and flexibility. Triacylglycerols regulate the interior climate of the body to maintain a steady temperature. Those with low body fat are likely to feel cold more quickly. Triacylglycerols aid in the production and regulation of hormones. For instance, adipose tissue cells secrete the appetite-regulating hormone leptin. Fatty acids are necessary for reproductive health in the reproductive system; women who lack adequate levels may stop menstruation and become infertile. Omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids assist in regulating cholesterol and blood coagulation and reduce inflammation of the joints, tissues, and blood. In addition to supporting nerve transmission, memory capacity, and tissue construction, fats have vital functional roles. Particularly in the cerebral, lipids are crucial to the structure and function of brain activity. They aid in forming nerve cell membranes, insulating neurons, and promoting the transmission of electrical impulses throughout the brain.
Transporting: Fat-soluble Nutrients are essential for optimum health and have multiple activities. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are primarily discovered in foods with fat. Fat-soluble nutrients need fat for optimal absorption. These vitamins are mediated when consumed alongside fatty meals. The bioavailability of phytochemicals such as lycopene (found in tomatoes) and beta-carotene is also increased by fats (found in carrots). It is considered that phytochemicals improve health and well-being. Therefore, consuming tomatoes with olive oil or salad dressings increases lycopene absorption. Other vital nutrients, including essential fatty acids, are components of fats and act as the cell’s structural components.
Energy Storage: The excess food energy is processed and stored as adipose tissue or fat tissue. 30 to 70% of the energy utilised at rest is derived from fat. As previously mentioned, glucose is stored as glycogen in the body. While glycogen is a readily available energy source, lipids serve primarily as an energy store. Due to the voluminous nature of glycogen and its high water content, the body cannot store excessive amounts for an extended period. Fat is utilised for en during activityergy, especially when glycogen stores have been exhausted. Fats are densely packed without water and store far more energy in a smaller volume. A gramme of fat is tightly packed with energy; it contains more than twice as much as a gramme of carbohydrates. In contrast to other bodily cells, which can only store a certain amount of fat, fat cells specialise in fat storage and can expand virtually endlessly.
Biological Importance of Lipid
As discussed above, the biological importance of lipids in the body is phenomenal. Many functions have been discussed above. Here are some points shedding light on the biological importance of lipids. Importance of Lipids in the Body
Cholesterol synthesis: The majority of cholesterol is found in cell membranes. It also exists as free plasma lipoproteins in the blood. Lipoproteins are a complex aggregation of lipids and proteins that allow lipids to travel in aqueous or watery solutions and transport them throughout the body. Based on their relative densities, the significant groupings are classed as chylomicrons (CM), very low-density lipoproteins (LDL LDVL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Cholesterol keeps membranes fluid by mixing with their complex lipid components, specific phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine and sphingolipids. Additionally, cholesterol is a precursor to bile acids, vitamin D, and steroidal hormones.
Lipid membrane layer creation: Linoleic and linolenic acids are essential fatty acids. These produce the acids arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic. These are lipids of membranes. Polyunsaturated fatty acids form the lipids of membranes. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential as elements of phospholipids, where they confer several crucial membrane characteristics. Fluidity and flexibility are two of the membrane’s most significant characteristics.
Maintaining temperature: The subcutaneous fat layer beneath the skin contributes to insulation and cold protection. Unlike white fat, brown fat is primarily responsible for maintaining body temperature. Brown fat is more concentrated in infants.
Formation and function of prostaglandins in inflammation: Linoleic and linolenic acids are precursors to numerous eicosanoids, including hydroxy eicosatetraenoic, prostanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and prostacyclins), leukotrienes (and lipoxins), and resolvins, among others. These are essential for pain, heat, inflammation, and blood clotting.
Nutritional Importance of Lipids
The following points discuss in detail the nutritional importance of lipids:
Aroma, Flavor, Texture, and Fullness: Fat includes dissolved chemicals that contribute to aromatic and flavorful qualities. Additionally, fat provides structure to food and keeps baked goods moist. Various meals’ smooth, velvety, moist, tender, and crunchy textures are contributed by fats. Frying preserves taste and reduce cooking time. Fat has another vital purpose in nutrition. Fat adds to the experience of satiety or fullness. Fats require more digestion than carbs or proteins because they move more slowly through the digestive tract, hence inducing satiety. Well before the feeling of fullness, people frequently overeat fat-rich foods because they find the delicious flavour appealing. The same qualities that make fat-rich meals appealing also make them detrimental to a healthy diet.
High Source of Energy: Fat-rich meals have a high caloric content. High-fat foods have more calories than high-protein or high-carbohydrate ones. Therefore, foods high in fat are a handy source of energy. One gramme of fat or oil contains nine calories, whereas 1 gramme of carbohydrates or protein contains four calories. Depending on a person’s degree of physical activity and nutritional needs, their fat requirements vary dramatically. When energy requirements are considerable, the body appreciates the calorically dense nature of fats. Infants and growing children, for example, require more significant amounts of fat for proper growth and development. If a baby or toddler is fed a low-fat diet for a prolonged period, normal development and growth will not occur. Athletes, those with physically demanding careers, and those recovering from illness are further examples of persons with high energy requirements. When the body has utilised all of its carbohydrate calories (which can occur in as little as twenty minutes of activity), it begins to utilise fat. Professional swimmers must consume a great deal of food energy to satisfy the need to swim great distances. Hence it makes sense for them to consume fat-rich foods. In contrast, a sedentary individual who consumes the same fat-rich foods will likely consume more fat calories than their body needs.
Frequently Asked Questions/FAQS
Q- What is the importance of lipids in the human body?
Lipids are various macromolecules reasonably soluble in water and dissolve in non-polar solvents. Lipids comprise hydrogen, carbon, and substituents, including several oxygen atoms, among other exciting characteristics. The functional group with many oxygen atoms is often hydrophilic (water-loving), whereas the one with several oxygen atoms is usually hydrophobic (water-hating) (water-hating). Lipids possess an oily or greasy quality.
Lipids are important because:
Lipids are essential because they contribute to numerous biological activities. Among these functions are the following:
Specific lipids, including cephalins, contribute to blood coagulation.
Lipids, such as cholesterol, are required to synthesise Vit D and hormones, including sexual and cortical hormones.
Phospholipids and other lipids are essential for the synthesis and transportation of lipoproteins.
Phospholipids serve an essential role in digestion, aiding in the uptake of fats in the small intestine.
The process of cellular respiration is facilitated by mitochondrial phospholipids such as lecithin.
Some more elaboration: Lipids serve multiple purposes within the body. They consist of the following.
- They store vitality within the body. This energy is predominantly used during the famine, fasting, or physical activity.
- They are components of cellular structural components, such as cell membranes. Phospholipids, for instance, are structural components of the cell membrane.
- They contribute to insulation. During cold seasons, this helps limit energy loss and keep one’s body warm.
- They protect sensitive inside organs like the heart.
- Specific lipids are vital hormones throughout the body. These steroid hormones serve as chemical messengers. They transmit signal information from one body part to another.