Functions in the body
The fats or lipids (from LIPOS = fat ) contained in food are mostly represented by triglycerides (90-98%). A triglyceride is formed by the union of a glycerol molecule with three fatty acids, which differ according to their length and the presence or absence of double bonds (saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated).
A simple triglyceride is a triglyceride in which all three fatty acids are equal, while in mixed triglycerides one or more fatty acids differ from the rest.
Insights
Functions of triglycerides Diet and triglycerides High triglycerides Low triglycerides Triglycerides and cholesterol Fibrates and triglycerides Triglyceridemia Triglyceride valuesInside our body, triglycerides are the main components of adipose tissue (energy reserve function), in which they are accumulated inside cells, called adipocytes (about 87% of the fat is made up of real fat).
When we eat, the fats contained in the food are attacked by the combined action of bile and pancreatic lipases that promote intestinal absorption. The lipids are thus split into the individual fatty acids and absorbed as such to then be re-esterified to triglycerides by the same cells of the intestinal epithelium. Fats, however, cannot be dissolved in water; for this reason their transport in the blood is entrusted to particular "protein shells", called chylomicrons. Thanks to the circulatory stream, these agglomerates of lipids and proteins reach the capillaries where they yield triglycerides which, by specific enzymes called lipoprotein lipases, are split back into glycerol and fatty acids. These nutrients will then be used to satisfy the energy needs of the cell (mitochondrial oxidation through beta oxidation and Krebs cycle) or deposited in the form of adipose tissue.
The entry into the triglyceride cells is favored by the presence of insulin and it is also for this reason that in diabetics there are more frequent cases of dyslipidemia (alteration of the amount of fat or lipids normally present in the blood).
High triglycerides and health risks
The amount of triglycerides in the blood (triglyceridemia) is normally between 50 and 150/200 mg / dl. Values above this range considerably increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as angina, heart attack and atherosclerosis.
The analysis of blood triglycerides is usually carried out in association with that of total cholesterol, of the "bad" (LDL) and of the good "HDL" just to evaluate the cardiovascular risk factor:
Risk | LDL | HDL | TRIGLYCERIDES |
high | ≥ 130 | ≤ 35 M ≤ 45 F | ≥ 400 |
average | 100-129 | 35-45 | 200-399 |
bass | 100 | > 35 M > 45 F | <200 |
Usually the other elements typical of dyslipidemia are associated with high triglycerides, such as total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol higher than normal. In the vast majority of cases this condition is due to incorrect lifestyle habits (diet, smoking, alcohol, etc.), often associated with obesity and / or diabetes mellitus.
The cases of familial hypertriglyceridemia (ie linked to hereditary factors) are instead very low (about one case in a thousand) as well as those related to a deficit in the action of protein lipases (about one case in a million) or to pathological conditions of the pancreas or of the kidneys.
Among the most important predisposing factors of hypertriglyceridemia we therefore find:
- Overweight / obesity
- sedentariness / reduced physical activity
- incorrect dietary habits
- diabetes mellitus
- alcohol abuse
- nephrotic syndrome (renal pathology)
- Iatrogenic causes (chronic therapy with glucocorticoids, birth control pills, estrogens, some diuretics and some antifungal agents).
The simple correction of these risk factors allows, in most cases, to restore the level of triglycerides in the blood to normal values. An appropriate lifestyle and a little physical activity are therefore effective both in preventing and in curing this dangerous condition.
