When Triglycerides Are Digested?

In the stomach, gastric lipase

starts to break down triglycerides into diglycerides and fatty acids. Within two to four hours after eating a meal, roughly 30 percent of the triglycerides are converted to diglycerides and fatty acids.

What happens when triglycerides are digested?

After ingested triglycerides pass through the stomach and into the small intestine, detergents called bile salts are secreted by the liver via the gall bladder and disperse the fat as micelles. Pancreatic enzymes called lipases then hydrolyze the dispersed fats to give monoglycerides and free fatty acids.

Where does triglyceride digestion occur?

The pancreas secretes pancreatic lipases into the small intestine to enzymatically digest triglycerides. Triglycerides are broken down to fatty acids, monoglycerides (glycerol backbone with one fatty acid still attached), and some free glycerol.