Human Nutrition 3(3+0)

Lesson 10 : Digestion and Absorption of Carbohydrates and Fats

Digestion and absorption of fat

Several theories have been proposed for the mechanism of absorption of fats after digestion. The important theories are:

1. Lipolytic hypothesis of Verzar,
2. Partiion theory of Frazer, and
3. Micelle theory of Borgstrom.

Lipolytic hypothesis of Verzar

• According to this theory, the hydrolysis of fat to fatty acids is complete and the fatty acids and glycerol are absorbed. The fatty acids combine with bile salts to form loose water miscible complexes which are absorbed into the intestinal mucosa.

• The triglycerides are passed on into the lacteals of the intestinal bile. They then enter the lymphatics and reach the systemic circulation via thoracic duct.

Present views on the digestion and absorption of fat