Why Do Humans Need Lipids?
Lipids are more commonly referred to as fats and are essential to the human body for multiple reasons. They store energy, provide hormones, allow absorption of certain vitamins, and protect our cells.
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Types
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Lipids, or fats, are categorized into three categories: saturated fat, trans fat and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat and trans fat can increase cholesterol while unsaturated fat does not. It is recommended that we minimize saturated fat and trans fat intake in our diet and get most of our fat from unsaturated foods.
Energy
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Lipids allow us to store energy. In fact, lipids can store more energy than carbohydrates or protein.
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Cell Protection
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Lipids perform an important function for our body's cells. They provide the membrane that surrounds the cells enzymes and food while keeping bad things, like disease, out.
Hormones
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Certain lipids are lipid hormones that provide regulation of our metabolism and testosterone. Without these we would have difficulty with digestion and sexual balance.
Vitamins
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There are certain vitamins that our bodies need that are fat soluble, which basically means we would not be able to absorb these vitamins without lipids being present. Such vitamins are A, D, E and K.
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