Monounsaturated fats play a key role in maintaining heart and vascular health.
Research shows that they help lower levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL), which can accumulate on the walls of arteries, leading to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Unlike saturated fats, which raise levels of bad cholesterol, monounsaturated fats promote its reduction while supporting levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
They achieve this through several mechanisms:
- Stimulation of LDL removal. Monounsaturated fats increase the activity of receptors on liver cells that capture and remove LDL from the blood. This reduces the concentration of “bad” cholesterol, decreasing the likelihood of its accumulation on arterial walls.
- Reduction of LDL oxidation. Oxidized LDL is considered more dangerous for blood vessels, as it penetrates arterial walls more easily and causes inflammation, which can lead to atherosclerosis. Monounsaturated fats help reduce LDL oxidation due to their antioxidant properties.
- Improvement of overall lipid profile. They increase the level of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which helps transport excess cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver for processing and removal. Thus, the balance between HDL and LDL improves.
Thus, monounsaturated fats improve the lipid profile and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
In addition, monounsaturated fats help reduce inflammatory processes in the body and regulate blood sugar levels.
For this reason, it is recommended to reduce the intake of saturated fats and replace them with healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Although there are no strict norms for the amount of monounsaturated fats, they should make up 15-20% of total caloric intake. This is especially important for those who seek to maintain a healthy balance of fats in their diet.
List of Products
But which products are rich in monounsaturated fats?
The products with a high content of monounsaturated fats include:
The products that predominantly contain monounsaturated fats and slightly less omega-3 fats include:
The products that predominantly contain monounsaturated fats and slightly less saturated fats include:
The products that predominantly contain monounsaturated fats and slightly less omega-6 fats include:
In addition to nuts, the same lipid profile is found in derivatives of these nuts: flours, oils, pastes, milks.
Recommended Daily Intake
It is optimal for health when monounsaturated fats constitute 20% of total caloric intake.
Thus, if you consume 2000 calories a day, your diet should include 40 grams of monounsaturated fats.
40 grams of monounsaturated fats can be found in:
- 5 tablespoons of olive, hazelnut, or avocado oil;
- two avocados;
- 67 grams or 25 macadamia nuts;
- 80 grams of hazelnuts;
- 100 grams of almonds or pecans.
These products are the easiest way to obtain 40 grams of monounsaturated fats. However, you can also eat:
- 160 grams of cashews, peanuts, or pistachios;
- 200 grams of sesame;
- 130 grams of cod liver.
It would be quite difficult if you tried to get the required amount of monounsaturated fats by eating:
- half a kilo of olives;
- 2 kilograms of carp;
- 2 kilograms of chicken liver;
- 20 kilograms of tuna.
Sources
- Fats in Foods
- Monounsaturated versus polyunsaturated dietary fat and serum lipids. A meta-analysis
- Monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
- Association Between Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Intake and Risk of Total Stroke and Its Subtypes: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
- Dietary total fat, fatty acids intake, and risk of cardiovascular disease: a dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies
- Trimming the Fat on Diet Recommendations to Improve Heart Health: Emphasis on Dietary Patterns
