What is a lipid?
Lipids are fatty compounds that perform various functions in the body, such as providing energy, absorbing vitamins, producing hormones, and others.
Each lipid performs a different function, namely:
- Triglyceride sends and supplies energy;
- Steroid hormone sends information to cells;
- Salt of bile acids helps fat digestion;
- Fatty acid produces energy;
- Phospholipid and cholesterol form biological membranes.
Lipids are in the blood and in the body, they are contained in all the cells of the body.
A lipid is formed as a result of the bonding of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. A lipid like cholesterol is part of the cell membrane - it gives the cell structure and allows substances to enter and leave the cell.
The body produces healthy amounts of lipids, but sometimes it produces an uneven amount that causes problems.
Against the background of lipids formed in the wrong amount, the risk of the following pathologies increases:
- Hyperlipidemia;
- Hypolipidemia;
- Atherosclerosis;
- Coronary artery disease;
- Hypertriglyceridemia.
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