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Facts about monounsaturated fats

Show Alternative Names
Monounsaturated fatty acid
MUFA
Oleic acid
Cholesterol - monounsaturated fat
Atherosclerosis - monounsaturated fat
Hardening of the arteries - monounsaturated fat
Hyperlipidemia - monounsaturated fat
Hypercholesterolemia - monounsaturated fat
Coronary artery disease - monounsaturated fat
Heart disease - monounsaturated fat
Peripheral artery disease - monounsaturated fat
PAD - monounsaturated fat
Stroke - monounsaturated fat
CAD - monounsaturated fat
Heart healthy diet - monounsaturated fat

Monounsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat. It is one of the healthy fats, along with polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature but start to harden when chilled.

Saturated fats and trans fats are solid at room temperature. These unhealthy fats can increase your risk for heart disease and other health problems.

Monounsaturated fats are found in plant foods, such as nuts, avocados, and vegetable oils. Eating moderate amounts of monounsaturated (and polyunsaturated) fats in place of saturated and trans fats can benefit your health.

How Monounsaturated Fats Affect Your Health

Monounsaturated fats are good for your health in several ways:

  • They can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol level. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance that can cause clogged, or blocked, arteries (blood vessels). Keeping your LDL level low reduces your risk for heart disease and stroke.
  • Monounsaturated fats help develop and maintain your cells.

How Much You Can Eat

Your body needs some fats for energy and other functions. Monounsaturated fats are a healthy choice.

How much should you get every day? Here are recommendations from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans:

  • Aim for getting no more than 10% of your total daily calories from saturated fat (found in red meat, butter, cheese, and whole-fat dairy products). For a 2,000 calorie diet, that is a total of 200 calories, or 22 grams a day.
  • Keep total fat consumption to no more than 25% to 30% of your daily calories. This includes monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Eating healthier fats is good for your health. But eating too much fat can lead to weight gain. All fats contain 9 calories per gram of fat. This is more than twice the amount found in carbohydrates and protein.

It is not enough to add foods high in unsaturated fats to a diet filled with unhealthy foods and fats. Instead, replace saturated or trans fats with healthier, unsaturated fats.

Reading Nutrition Labels

All packaged foods have a nutrition label that includes fat content. Reading food labels can help you keep track of how much fat you eat.

  • Check the total fat in one serving. Be sure to add up the number of servings you will eat in one sitting.
  • Look closely at the amount of saturated fat and trans fat in a serving. The rest is unsaturated fat. Some labels will list the monounsaturated fat content, some will not.
  • Make sure most of your daily fats are from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources.
  • Many fast-food restaurants also provide nutrition information on their menus. If you do not see it posted, ask your server. You also may be able to find it on the restaurant's website.

Making Healthy Food Choices

Most foods have a combination of all types of fats. Some have higher amounts of healthy fats than others. Foods and oils with higher amounts of monounsaturated fats include:

  • Nuts
  • Avocado
  • Canola oil
  • Olive oil
  • Safflower oil (high oleic)
  • Sunflower oil
  • Peanut oil and butter
  • Sesame oil

To get the health benefits, you need to replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats. Here are some ideas:

  • Eat nuts instead of cookies for a snack. Be sure to keep your portion small, as nuts are high in calories.
  • Add avocado to salads and sandwiches instead of dressings and mayonnaise.
  • Replace butter and solid fats with olive, avocado, or canola oil.
Review Date: 5/14/2024

Reviewed By

Stefania Manetti, RDN, CDCES, RYT200, My Vita Sana LLC - Nourish and heal through food, San Jose, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

References

Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(24):e285-e350. PMID: 30423393 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30423393/.

Hensrud DD. Diet and nutrition. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 13.

Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.

US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th ed. www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf. Updated December 2020. Accessed May 13, 2024.

Disclaimer

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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Understanding cholesterol results

Understanding cholesterol results

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Understanding cholesterol results

Understanding cholesterol results

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Understanding cholesterol results - Animation

LDL cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation, and for very good reason. Having too much of this fatty substance in your blood can clog up your arteries, preventing blood from getting to your heart and out to where it's needed in your body. Checking your LDL levels can help your doctor spot high cholesterol before it can cause a heart attack or stroke. Let's talk today about LDL tests.

LDL stands for "low-density lipoprotein." Lipoprotein is a type of protein that transports cholesterol, as well as fats called triglycerides and lipids, in your blood. When you eat too many fatty, cholesterol-rich foods, LDL cholesterol can start to collect in your artery walls. That's one collection you don't want, because if a chunk of that gunk breaks loose and gets lodged in a blood vessel, you could end up having a heart attack or stroke.

To check your LDL cholesterol level, you'll need to have a blood test. Your doctor may tell you not to eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours before the test, so you can get an accurate reading.

During the test, your doctor will draw blood from one of your veins. The needle might sting a little bit, but the feeling shouldn't last for any more than a few seconds.

So, how do you know that you have high LDL cholesterol?

Well, your LDL cholesterol level (think: L for Lousy) will usually be measured along with your HDL, or good cholesterol (think: H for Healthy), as well as your triglycerides and your total cholesterol level. Together, these measurements are called a lipid panel.

You want your LDL level to be at least below 130 mg/dl, but ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If you're at high risk of heart disease, it should be even lower than that -- less than 70 milligrams per deciliter. And for folks of average risk of getting heart disease, anything over 160 is considered a high LDL level.

If you do have LDL cholesterol, you could be at risk for heart disease. Now, some folks have high cholesterol because they have an inherited condition that causes high cholesterol. If your LDL is low, it may be because you're not eating a well-balanced diet or your intestines aren't absorbing the nutrients from the foods that you eat.

Ask your doctor how often you should have your LDL, and total cholesterol levels, checked. Depending upon your heart disease risks, you may need to be tested more often. If your LDL cholesterol is high, ask your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications, diet, and other ways to bring it back down into a normal range.

 

Understanding cholesterol results - Animation

LDL cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation, and for very good reason. Having too much of this fatty substance in your blood can clog up your arteries, preventing blood from getting to your heart and out to where it's needed in your body. Checking your LDL levels can help your doctor spot high cholesterol before it can cause a heart attack or stroke. Let's talk today about LDL tests.

LDL stands for "low-density lipoprotein." Lipoprotein is a type of protein that transports cholesterol, as well as fats called triglycerides and lipids, in your blood. When you eat too many fatty, cholesterol-rich foods, LDL cholesterol can start to collect in your artery walls. That's one collection you don't want, because if a chunk of that gunk breaks loose and gets lodged in a blood vessel, you could end up having a heart attack or stroke.

To check your LDL cholesterol level, you'll need to have a blood test. Your doctor may tell you not to eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours before the test, so you can get an accurate reading.

During the test, your doctor will draw blood from one of your veins. The needle might sting a little bit, but the feeling shouldn't last for any more than a few seconds.

So, how do you know that you have high LDL cholesterol?

Well, your LDL cholesterol level (think: L for Lousy) will usually be measured along with your HDL, or good cholesterol (think: H for Healthy), as well as your triglycerides and your total cholesterol level. Together, these measurements are called a lipid panel.

You want your LDL level to be at least below 130 mg/dl, but ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If you're at high risk of heart disease, it should be even lower than that -- less than 70 milligrams per deciliter. And for folks of average risk of getting heart disease, anything over 160 is considered a high LDL level.

If you do have LDL cholesterol, you could be at risk for heart disease. Now, some folks have high cholesterol because they have an inherited condition that causes high cholesterol. If your LDL is low, it may be because you're not eating a well-balanced diet or your intestines aren't absorbing the nutrients from the foods that you eat.

Ask your doctor how often you should have your LDL, and total cholesterol levels, checked. Depending upon your heart disease risks, you may need to be tested more often. If your LDL cholesterol is high, ask your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications, diet, and other ways to bring it back down into a normal range.

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
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