What Are Lipids? What Foods Can i Find It In?
Lipids are organic compounds including fats, oils, hormones, and certain components of membranes that are grouped together because they do not interact appreciably with water.
Lipids are mainly composed of hydrocarbons in their most reduced form, making them an excellent form of energy storage.
Table of Contents
Lipids Don't Interact With Water
Lipids are compounds that are insoluble in water but are soluble in organic solvents such as ether and chloroform. (source ◳)
Lipids are involved in numerous cellular functions, including cell signaling, cell growth, and cell division.
Lipids also serve as structural components of cell membranes, and can be involved in transporting nutrients and other materials into cells.
Lipids In The Form Of Triglycerides
Lipids can be divided into several categories: triglycerides, phospholipids, sphingolipids, and sterols.
Each category is composed of many different molecules.
Triglycerides are the major source of energy for cells and are also involved in a wide variety of other metabolic processes.
Triglycerides are the most common and abundant form of lipids in most animal cells.
They are also the most abundant lipids in animal fat and vegetable oil.
In human tissues, triglycerides are an important component of the body's main energy reserve, as well as the brain.
Important Lipids
Important lipids include fats and oils, fatty acids, phospholipids, and cholesterol. (source ◳)
Fats and oils
Fats and oils are important in the diet as energy sources. Especially sources of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, which tend to be associated with fats. (source ◳)
Fatty acids
Fatty acids supply the energy consumed in cellular growth at certain stages of life. (source ◳)
Interesting information and articles about fatty acids can you find in Fatty Acids: How To Use Them For Your Benefit
Phospholipids
Phospholipids are important components of the brain and nervous tissue, membranes throughout body tissues, and the carriers of cholesterol and fats in the blood. (source ◳)
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a component of membranes in body cells and is required for the normal development of the brain and nervous tissue. (source ◳)
You can read more about cholesterol in What Is Cholesterol & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Foods You Can Find Lipids In
You find lipids mostly in fats and oils.
Examples of food sources include
Foods in our nutrition tool
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If you are interested in what foods contain the most lipids, we recommend you use our tool.
Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain lipids.
