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Chemistry - Fats and vegetable oils - triglycerides

Fats and vegetable oils - triglycerides

Fats and vegetable oils made by animals and plants are natural energy
storage materials. They are members of the water-insoluble family of
biomolecules known as lipids. [1] Although the reserve of glycogen, [2] the
carbohydrate energy storage compound, in our bodies is only sufficient to
last for a few hours, an average person has enough stored fat to sustain
them for 30 to 40 days if water is available.

Some carbohydrate, eaten in excess of our energy needs, is also converted
to fat and stored under the skin, in the muscles.

As well as serving as an energy reserve, fat supports and acts as shock
absorber for delicate organs such as the kidneys. It also functions as heat
insulation for the body. Fats [3] act as solvents for the fat-soluble
vitamins A, D, E and K and are an essential part of the diet.

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