Triglycerides And Phospholipids: What’s The Difference?

It is difficult for most people to differentiate between triglycerides and phospholipids because of their seemingly similar structures. However, there is a clear difference in their structures, properties, and characteristics including the way they make bonds. To help you understand this better, we are going to discuss the difference between the two in detail.

Table of Contents

Difference between Triglycerides and Phospholipids

Triglycerides

Triglycerides store energy like all fats when we consume food. The fat does not convert directly into energy when we consume food and requires time to be absorbed. The calories from the food turn into triglycerides and are stored in fat cells. However, people with high amounts of triglyceride also have visible fat, which can lead to certain health issues including cardiovascular diseases, bone problems, etc.

In addition, triglycerides also provide thermal insulation, which plays an important role for people and animals in the colder regions. Many people think that triglycerides and phospholipids are similar, but you may see that they are profoundly different if you take a closer look at them.

Phospholipids

Phospholipids have distinctive functions and structures. For example, the triglyceride has glycerol and three fatty acids, but phospholipids glycerol has two fatty acids and phosphate. Therefore, phospholipids aren’t fat, unlike triglycerides.

Phospholipids play an essential role in forming lipid bilayers that help maintain the structure of the cell. Additionally, the phospholipids have a more rigid structure, making the cell retain its shape better.

While the human body can produce a good amount of phospholipids, consuming them through high protein sources can help improve overall health. There are several foods like meat, eggs, and seed oils that help get the required phospholipids, but, many people are now consuming krill meat as a source of phospholipids.

Phospholipids and Krill: Why Krill Meat Is Better

Krill meat and oil offer their respective benefits but one of the leading reasons why krill oil is so beneficial is that its omega-3s are bound to phospholipids. However, omega-3 in fish oil are bound to triglycerides. This may seem like a small factor but can make a massive difference.

This difference makes an impact on the absorption, health effects, and function of the omega-3 present in krill. They do not have the weird aftertaste that people notice when burping.

Unlike krill oil, fish oil does not mix well with water, which causes this issue. Krill oil does not have that after taste because of phospholipids. This also helps improve the bio-efficiency, allowing it to deposit to the places in the body that need the EPA and DHA the most. All of this promotes better cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of strokes and other heart problems.

Bottom Line

Omegas bound to phospholipids offer your body much more than omegas bound to triglycerides can. With so much to learn about these amazing little crustaceans, we wanted to ensure that everything you needed to know is just a click away. If you would like to learn more about the wonderful things that krill meat has to offer and even try some for yourself, head over to KrillArcticFoods.com and you will find everything that you need.

Sources

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17345959/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj0rvewqIP1AhUQZcAKHVcyDZUQFnoECCQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC4632328%2F&usg=AOvVaw27m5Dy9LShERdDW887v55t

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453019302289