Meet the Fats: Monounsaturated Fat

Wednesday, 05. 6. 2009  –  Category: Cholesterol, HDL - High Density Lipoproteins, Heart Diseases, Heart Health, LDL Low Density Lipoproteins, Nutrition, Weight Management

The Not-So-Bad-For-You Fat

The “best” fat out there is monounsaturated fat.  While it is still a fat and shouldn’t be overdone, it’s the only fatty acid that has proven to reduce LDL cholesterol without hurting a good HDL level.  Of the fats, this one is most important to your diet and should be the largest portion of calories from fat.  Monounsaturated fats are vital to any heart-health regimen, as they are reliable reducers of unhealthy cholesterol.  Also, a person may consume more monounsaturated fat than others, because it takes more to cause harm.

A Natural Fat

Monounsaturated fats, like polyunsaturated fats, are for the most part naturally-occuring.  The primary benefit is, of course, its cholesterol-related activity.  However, monounsaturated fats are also high in beneficial fatty acids which can be helpful to healthy skin condition and reproduction of body cells.  These fats also are high in vitamin E, a nutrient which most Americans do no consume enough of.  These fats have also shown a potential for lowering risk of stroke.  Obviously, they’re a good thing.

It’s All Around Us!

This beneficial fat can be obtained from a number of different sources.  The number one source of monounsaturated fats is olive oil.  This is the speculative reason as to why heart disease and cholesterol problems are very low in the Mediterranean region, where olive oil is a staple of cooking.  Other sources of this helpful fat are canola oil, most nuts, nut-derived butters (like peanut butter), nut-derived oils, avocados, and whole olives. 

Moderation, Moderation, Moderation

Even with all the seemingly amazing benefits that it presents, there are risks to overdoing monounsaturated fats.  Like all other fats, they are high in calories.  By consuming too many, you may risk weight gain.  This once again puts you at risk for heart disease, which seems to be defeating the purpose of a heart-healthy diet.  With this in mind, experts suggest strict moderation of all fats, including monounsaturated fats.  Despite being healthy when rationed, it is not a complete cure.  It can actually pose as a risk.  So, keep in mind, moderation is a big deal with this heart-healthy stuff.

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