Which organ helps in the digestion of fats?

The pancreas plays a crucial role in the digestion of fats due to its production of digestive enzymes, including lipase. Lipase is specifically responsible for breaking down triglycerides, the main constituents of body fat, into free fatty acids and glycerol, which can then be easily absorbed by the intestine.

In addition to lipase, the pancreas also secretes bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid in the small intestine, creating an optimal environment for the activity of these enzymes. Therefore, the pancreas is essential for facilitating the efficient digestion and absorption of dietary fats in conjunction with other organs like the liver and gallbladder, which also contribute to fat digestion but are not primarily responsible for the enzymatic breakdown.

While the liver produces bile, which emulsifies fats to increase their surface area for enzymatic action, and the gallbladder stores and concentrates this bile, the actual enzymatic digestion of fats is chiefly conducted by the pancreatic lipase, making the pancreas the correct organ associated with fat digestion.