Blood fats and dietary fats

Overview

Function of fats

• Nutritive substances (“structural fat”)
  • Protection for organs (among others)
  • Related parts and layers of tissue
• Energy store (“storage fat”)
  • Excess or deficiency can often be diagnosed by sight
  • Can be measured on weight scales
  • Possible diseases: obesity, bulimia, anorexia
• Components of hormones, various metabolic functions

Origin

• Directly from food (“essential fatty acids” only)
• Manufactured in the body from smaller molecules
• Fats can be ingested or manufactured in quantities that are too big or too small

Blood fats

• Rough classification: cholesterol (HDL/LDL) and triglycerides (neutral fat)
• Concentration can be measured by blood tests

Cholesterol

• Contained in cell membranes
• Precursor for hormones – including the sex hormones
• Raw material for bile acids (important for fat digestion)
• Water-insoluble (therefore bound to proteins in the blood)
  • High-density lipoproteins (combinations of fat and proteins) (HDL)
  • Low-density lipoproteins (LDL)
• LDL (“bad cholesterol”)
  • Broken down in liver
  • If percentage in blood is too high: broken down too slowly, excess builds up
  • Excess LDL: stored in the walls of arteries, leads to arteriosclerosis (“arterial calcification”), high blood pressure, etc.
• HDL (“good cholesterol”)
  • Protects against arteriosclerosis
  • Absorbs fat from cells – even from artery walls – and transports them to the liver
  • “Disposal” form of cholesterol

Triglycerides or neutral fat

• Absorbed from food
• Involved in causing arteriosclerosis
• Main component of human adipose tissue (energy reserves)
• Supplier of energy for long-term physical performance

Total cholesterol or LDL is increased by:

• Genetic factors
• Excessive intake of saturated fatty acids (see above)
  • Easily converted into cholesterol in the body
• Too much cholesterol in the diet

Triglyceride levels are increased by: 

• Excessive intake of animal fats or saturated fatty acids (associated with obesity)
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Excessive consumption of sugar/carbohydrates and protein
  • If these are not needed, they are converted into fat and stored as such in the body
• Lack of exercise
• Family history
• Lipid metabolic disorders

Causes and treatment

Dietary fats and oils

• Consist mainly of fatty acids (with different levels of saturation)
  • Saturated fatty acids
  • Polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • Monounsaturated fatty acids
• A “healthy” diet is high in unsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fatty acids
• For general recommendations, see “Healthy diet”

Saturated fatty acids

• Percentage in diet is too high (general problem in Central Europe)
• Easy to recognise as they are solid at room temperature
• Butter, cream, hard cheese (also fondue)
• Meat and sausage meat
• Coconut and palm oil

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

• “Essential” (i.e. have to be ingested with food)
• Various metabolic functions (e.g. reduction of triglyceride level)
• Omega-3 fatty acids: anti-inflammatory effect, linseed and rape oil, walnuts, oily fish (e.g. salmon, anchovies)
• Omega-6 fatty acids: sunflower, soya, maize germ and safflower oil as well as most brands of margarine

Monounsaturated fatty acids

• Should form the main component of the daily fat intake
• Reduction of LDL cholesterol
• In olive oil, seeds, nuts

Trans fatty acids

• These are the “bad guys”
• They are unsaturated fatty acids
• Formed by partial hydrogenation (industrial)
• Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Intake via food is difficult to control
  • Packaging labels usually don't indicate percentage
  • Indications that they may be there: label states “partially hydrogenated fats”

Therapy approach

• Objective: reduction of blood fat content
• Change in diet (nutritional advice, if needed)
• If it can't be reduced enough: medication (statins, fibrates or cholesterol inhibitors)

What can I do myself?

• For general recommendations, see “Healthy diet”
• Be careful of fat composition of food (in particular if there are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases)
• Read food labels
  • Low-fat products with beneficial fat composition are better (low in animal fats)
  • Avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated fats
• Regular exercise

Get a personal Preventive Care Recommendation now.

When to see a doctor?

• For regular monitoring of blood fat levels if:
  • Family history of high cholesterol
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Obesity

Further information

Cardiovascular diseases

Schweizerische Herzstiftung (Swiss Heart Foundation)
www.swissheart.ch

Obesity

Schweizerische Adipositas-Stiftung SAPS (Swiss Obesity Foundation)
www.adipositas-stiftung.ch

Selbsthilfe Schweiz (Self-Help Support Switzerland)
www.selbsthilfeschweiz.ch

Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ernährung SGE (Swiss Society for Nutrition)
www.sge-ssn.ch

Synonyms

blood fats and dietary fats, lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides, dietary fats, triglycerides, blood fats