How do you digest fats?

The digestion of fats involves several steps and enzymes:

- Emulsification: In the mouth, the enzyme lingual lipase helps break down some dietary fats. Once the food reaches the stomach, the churning action and acidic environment begin to break down fats.

- Lipolysis: In the small intestine, the majority of fat digestion occurs. When fat enters the small intestine, it mixes with bile salts produced by the liver. Bile salts break down fats into smaller droplets, forming an emulsion.

- Enzymatic breakdown: The pancreas secretes enzymes called lipases that play a significant role in fat digestion. Lipases, including pancreatic lipase, break down the emulsified fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

- Micelle formation: Once the fats are broken down into smaller components, they are dispersed into the watery environment of the small intestine. To facilitate their absorption, these compounds form structures called micelles. Micelles contain water-soluble portions on the outside, which interact with the watery environment, and fat-soluble portions on the inside, which carry the fatty acids and glycerol.

- Absorption: Micelles carry the fatty acids and glycerol to the cells lining the small intestine. Here, fatty acids are absorbed into the intestinal cells (enterocytes). Glycerol is absorbed separately.

- Chylomicron formation: Inside the enterocytes, fatty acids undergo various modifications and combine with other molecules to form chylomicrons. Chylomicrons are small, protein-coated packages that transport triglycerides (fatty acids packaged for efficient transport) from the intestines to other tissues throughout the body.

- Transport: Chylomicrons are secreted from the enterocytes into the lymphatic system and eventually enter the bloodstream. They travel through the bloodstream and deliver triglycerides to cells in various tissues for energy production or storage.

This process ensures that ingested fats are broken down into more digestible components and eventually utilized as an energy source or stored for later use by the body.