The First Health Blog Service

Monounsaturated Fats

March 16th, 2006

Monounsaturated fats are considered to be the healthiest type of fat you can eat. They are found in nuts, olives, peanuts, avocados, and olive and canola oils. Similar to Omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats aid in reducing cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

However, recent studies have also linked monounsaturated fats to increased weight loss. Specifically, one study has shown that the body burns more fat in 4 hours following a meal high in monos than after a meal rich in saturated fats. Also, Monounsaturates, like the fat found in olives and olive oil, can help lower (bad) LDL-cholesterol while maintaining or raising the (good) HDL-cholesterol.
Good sources of monounsaturated fats:

• Olive oil (73 per cent)
• rapeseed oil (60 per cent)
• hazelnuts (50 per cent)
• almonds (35 per cent)
• Brazil nuts (26 per cent)
• cashews (28 per cent)
• avocado (12 per cent)
• sesame seeds (20 per cent)
• pumpkin seeds (16 per cent)

Entry Filed under: Food