HNSC 1200 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Rancidification, Cereal Germ, Phytosterol
13 May 2017
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Document Summary
Emulsifiers are substances that keep water and fat dispersed in one another (help them to mix together) Lecithin is a phospholipid found in egg yolk. In mayonnaise, the lecithin blends the vinegar with the oil and keeps it from separating. The third class of lipids is the sterols. Sterols are large molecules consisting of interconnecting rings of carbon atoms, with side chains of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Cholesterol is important in the structure of cell membranes, therefore is part of every cell and is necessary for optimal body functioning. Cholesterol serves as the raw material for making bile, therefore it is important for fat digestion. Cholesterol also forms the major part of the plaques that narrow the arteries in atherosclerosis, an underlying cause of heart attacks and strokes. Cholesterol can be made by the body so therefore is not essential. Plants do not manufacture cholesterol but they do manufacture other sterols called phytosterols.
