Where does fat digestion notably begin?

Fat digestion notably begins in the stomach due to the action of gastric lipase, an enzyme secreted by the gastric mucosa. While the primary site for fat digestion and absorption is the small intestine, the process does initiate in the stomach. Gastric lipase starts to break down triglycerides into diglycerides and free fatty acids.

Although the mouth also has some activity in fat digestion through the enzyme lingual lipase, this role is minimal compared to that in the stomach. The small intestine is where the majority of fat digestion occurs, with the aid of bile acids and pancreatic lipase, but this is not the initial point of digestion. The pancreas is crucial for producing digestive enzymes, including lipase, but it does not directly participate in the initial stages of fat digestion, as those enzymes are released into the small intestine after digestion has begun in the stomach.