What Is Fat And How Do Our Bodies Store It And Break It Down?

Fat loss is desperately sought after by millions of people who are overweight, but in order to lose fat we need to change our diet and increase our exercise levels. Simply put, the more fat which the body burns off, the slimmer you will become, though it is a gradual process and varies from person to person, depending on your own metabolism. This article will look more closely at fat and learn how it is an essential part of a healthy diet.

Let’s look at how fat is absorbed into the body, where it is actually stored and how it affects our bodies when it is there. Fats are broken down by an enzyme called lipase in the digestive system, and then absorbed into the blood stream. Muscle and fat cells then begin to absorb the fats and burn them through exercise, or create a fat store for future burn off purposes.

Why Do We Need Fat?

Fat is a crucial part of any healthy diet, for the following reasons;

· Fatty acids are gained from food, since the body cannot create these acids internally.

· Particular vitamins are fat soluble, meaning that the only way to get these vitamins inside our bodies is by consuming fat.

· Fat is a great source of energy, since it contains double the amount of calories in comparison to carbohydrates or proteins. Presuming that sufficient exercise is being done, fat will help you feel more energetic and last longer during prolonged physical exertion.

Fat Storage

Fat is distributed around the body, but some areas hold more fat than others, and some hold very little at all. Most fat is stored underneath the skin, known as subcutaneous tissue. The thickness of this type of tissue tends to be thickest in the waist area, whereas the eyelids contain effectively none. Men and women hold fat in different areas, yet both genders will hold a small fat store in the liver, and also some fat around the kidneys.

Fat Breakdown

The reason fat is stored is so that when food is not being eaten, or exercise is being undertaken, the body can call upon these fat stores to provide energy. These fat stores are not however the first port of call for energy, as the body calls upon its glucose supplies first and foremost. The second source is derived from breaking down carbohydrates into glucose.

The final source is the breaking down of fat, which is the important one for those wishing to lose weight. The process of lipolysis breaks down and creates fatty and glycerol acids which can be transformed into energy, or used to make glucose. The fact that fat reserves are the last resort for energy providing, illustrates how difficult it is to lose weight quickly.