Do you know the role that monounsaturated fats play in your health? Do you know that you’re maybe eating the wrong type of fat?! Do you know that the wrong fat may cause weight gain?
To keep a healthy weight, monounsaturated fats need to be more present in your diet than less healthier ones like trans fats.
Monounsaturated fats participate in numerous bodily processes, including the development and maintenance of cells and regulation of cholesterol.
But, since they can’t be naturally produced in the body, we need to acquire them from proper food sources such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados, etc.
This guide will teach you these things:
- Why monounsaturated fats are good for us
- How much to eat
- The best food sources of monounsaturated fats
When eaten in moderation, they help us improve our cardiovascular health and reduce our risk of various health issues.
But, they’re not without calories- if you eat them too much, your risk of weight gain increases, as well as health deterioration.
To teach you more about the importance of choosing good fat, we’ll share vital facts about monounsaturated fats.
Stay tuned!
Monounsaturated Fats- Benefits, Foods & Facts
What Are Monounsaturated Fats?
- Also known as MUFAs
- Reduce the risk of certain diseases
- Can’t be produced in the body
Monounsaturated fats, also known as MUFAs, can do wonders for our health if we eat them moderately. They help us decrease our chances of heart illness by reducing the bad cholesterol and boosting the levels of the good one.
And, they better the functioning of our blood vessels. Moreover, research has discovered that they also may have a positive influence on insulin levels and the management of blood sugar, which can be of great aid for people with type 2 diabetes. [1]
Pros:
- Protects the heart
- Improves the blood vessel functioning
- Reduces the bad & increase the good cholesterol
But, as with any other type of fat, it’s vital not to exaggerate. Namely, all fats have 9 calories per gram and if you consume them in excess, they can cause more damage than good.
The concept that these fats can protect us from cardiovascular problems comes from studies done in Mediterranean regions.
There, the prevalence of these illnesses is lower and where the biggest amount of fat in people’s diets comes from olive oil which contains this particular type of fat.
Cons:
- Still contains calories
- Can cause problems if it’s eaten in high amounts
Which Are the Best Monounsaturated Fat Sources?
- Plenty of food options
- Best when part of a balanced diet
- Olives, olive oil, and avocados considered the best sources
When we follow a healthy eating pattern, we can supply our body with the right amount of fats. The key is to replace the unhealthy fats with healthier versions like unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats).
The foods with the highest level of these fats are:
- Olives
- Avocados
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Avocados
- Olive
- Peanut
- Canola
- Sunflower
- sesame oils
Some useful suggestions about how to implement these foods in your diet is to consume nuts rather than cookies for dessert (in smaller portions), to eat sandwiches and salads with avocados, and to use canola or olive oil instead of butter and other solid fats.
Pros:
- Nourish our body
- Help our cells function properly
- Supply us with energy
Your body will use these fats for energy production and other bodily functions. Ensure that monounsaturated fats make no more than 25 to 30 percent of your daily amount of calories that you get from fats. [2]
And, always take into account that there’s no such thing as a food with only one type of fat- it’s usually a combination of different types of fats, some with healthier, some with less healthier.
Cons:
- Excessive amounts can be harmful
- No food has only one type of fat
How much Unsaturated Fats We Need?
- Important type of unsaturated fat
- There’s a recommended limit of consumption
- Moderate intake is best
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from 2015, no more than 25 to 30 percent of your daily calorie amount should come from unsaturated fats.
If your goal is to lose weight or prevent weight gain, avoid eating high amounts of foods with monounsaturated fats. This is because they’re also high in calories, particularly nuts and oil. [3]
Pros:
- There’s a recommendable range of consumption
- Needed for optimal health
- Protect our heart
A dietician can help you determine a healthy meal plan that will help you get more good fats in your diet without overstepping your daily calorie intake. Even though monounsaturated fats aren’t required on product labelling, a lot of foods that contain them do have them listed.
When you’re dining out, you can check the nutrition information about the food on the menu. If it’s not listed there, you can always ask the server or check the restaurant’s website for info.
Cons:
- If you eat more than the recommended amount, weight gain is possible
- Fat isn’t free of calories
- Sometimes, they’re not listed on product labels
How to Add more Healthy Fats to Our Diets
- Replacing unhealthy with healthy fats is pivotal
- Excluding all fats is bad for the health
- Many useful ways to eat more healthy fat
A lot of people unknowingly make the mistake of counting every gram of fat they consume and end up eating less fat than the recommended amount for optimal health.
In order to follow a healthy diet, we need to consume different veggies, fruits, nuts, and beans, as well as fatty fish, moderate amount of dairy, a bit of red meat, and fried and processed foods only occasionally. [4]
In other words, we should aim swapping grilled with fried chicken, red meat with protein from beans, chicken or fish, and using olive oil instead of butter.
A Mediterranean diet is an excellent way to get a balanced amount of fat and reduce the bad type of fat.
The first step towards a healthier diet rich in monounsaturated fats is to remove trans fats from your diet and the consumption of saturated fat.
This can be achieved by eating a limited amount of commercially-sold fast food and baked goods and by eating less red meat and more beans, poultry, and fish.
Pros:
- Improving our fat intake is achievable
- Mediterranean diet can be of great aid
- Plenty of healthy food sources
Instead of whole milk dairy, opt for the low fat versions. Whenever possible, use olive oil for stovetop cooking instead of lard, margarine, and butter. For baking, canola is a good choice.
Cons:
- Many people exclude fat altogether
- Limiting fat severely is risky
- Lack of fat can reduce nutrient absorption, reduce satiation, etc.
Final Thoughts
Even though a diet high in fat can lead to a series of health issues, including cardiovascular illness, obesity, and diabetes, limiting it excessively won’t solve the problem.
This is because fat is vital for our body- it betters its absorption of nutrients, energizes the muscles while exercising, and elevates our satiety. But, it does so much more.
If you’re unsure about whether you’re meeting your individual needs for fat or not, consult your doctor or dietician to learn more. When you eat fat, you need to be certain you’re choosing the right type, that is, the healthy fat.
The healthy fats, i.e. polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, unlike the saturated from fried food and animal products, improve our heart health.
In order to get the most of this fat, we need to make sure we’re replacing the monounsaturated with the saturated ones and eating it in balance.
This is because fat, regardless of its type, still contains calories. Plus, no food is solely made from one type of fat-they’re usually a combination of several.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans from 2015 recommend that no more than 25 to 30 percent of our daily calorie intake should be from unsaturated fats.
Reference sites:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/mufas/faq-20057775
- https://www.diabetes.org/nutrition/healthy-food-choices-made-easy/fats
- https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm
- https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/harmful-effects-ingesting-little-fat-2492.html
- http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productid=117&pid=60&gid=000785
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000785.htm
- https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/aa160619
