Discribe the following as constituents of milk fat and sugar
Answers
Nutritional Components in Milk
This page describes the function of nutritional components in milk: Energy, Water, Carbohydrate, Fat, Protein, Vitamins, Minerals, and Minor Biological Proteins & Enzymes. Links are provided to move the reader to pages that present the content of specific nutrients in milk, important background information on the chemistry of milk carbohydrate (lactose), fat, protein, and enzymes,
Fat
There are 2 fatty acids that are considered “essential” that cannot be made by the body and must come from the diet, and these are linoleic (18:2) and linolenic (18:3) acids. These fatty acids are used to synthesize the longer chain fatty acids arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4o-6), docopentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:4o-6), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5o-3) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6o-3). These fatty acids are essential for the synthesis of hormones such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes that are involved in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and immune response.
The fatty acids in milk fat are approximately 65% saturated, 29% monounsaturated, and 6% polyunsaturated. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk fat include small amounts of the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic, and approximately 5% trans fatty acids. An important trans fatty acid in milk fat is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, 18:2). There are several types (isomers) of CLA in milk that have been shown to inhibit cancer and help maintain lean body mass while promoting the loss of body fat. The health benefits of CLA consumption are discussed in the Milk and Human Health section.