Fig 1.0 shows the structure of a triglyceride.
The food consumed in a diet is either used or stored. When you eat, the fat in food is digested, and triglycerides are released into the bloodstream. This will give the body energy to perform activities, or just to perform any vital functions. The rest will be stored as fat.
Fig 2.0 illustrates the ingestion of food containing plasma lipids (triglycerides) by obese children
Triglycerides in plasma are derived from fats eaten in foods or made in the body from other energy sources like carbohydrates. Calories ingested in a meal and not used immediately by tissues are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored. Hormones regulate the release of triglycerides from fat tissue so they meet the body's needs for energy between meals.
Excess triglycerides in plasma is called hypertriglyceridemia causing obesity. It's linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease in some people. Elevated triglycerides may be a consequence of other disease, such as diabetes mellitus. Fig. 3.0 shows an obese adult eating food containing fats and carbohydrates which will be converted to triglycerides,
The liver produces triglycerides. Any extra calories in a diet can be changed into triglycerides. These triglycerides may also be changed into cholesterol.
People who are extremely overweight (obese), will have more calories converted into cholesterol and triglycerides. Excess calories from alcohol will also cause the liver to make more triglycerides, which in turn causes less fat to be removed from the blood stream.
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