What are monounsaturated fatty acids?
MUFA is one of the two types of unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids have at least one double bond in the fatty acid carbon chain (as opposed to saturated fatty acids, which have no double bonds). MUFA is a type of unsaturated fatty acid that has one double bond in the chain, along with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which have two or more double bonds.
Both types of unsaturated fatty acids are considered to have significant health benefits, although scientific evidence suggests that PUFA may be more beneficial.
What are the health benefits of MUFA?
Evidence supporting the inclusion of MUFA in heart-healthy diets is largely circumstantial. For example, there are no randomized clinical studies showing that MUFA reduces the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Nevertheless, indirect evidence is substantial.
MUFA has beneficial effects on blood lipids. They lower LDL cholesterol levels ("bad" cholesterol) and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ("good" cholesterol). They also reduce triglyceride levels in the blood. Therefore, consuming MUFA often leads to an overall improvement in blood lipid levels, which should be very friendly to the cardiovascular system.
Additionally, there is evidence that MUFA can help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol particles. Oxidized LDL appears to play a significant role in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
MUFA may be particularly useful for patients with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. In these patients, reducing PUFA in the diet and replacing it with MUFA has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and improve vascular function.
In some studies, switching from PUFA to MUFA also led to weight loss and a reduction in abdominal fat.
However, since all this evidence is circumstantial and has not yet been replicated in large randomized clinical trials, dietitians have not reached a consensus on how much MUFA to recommend in our diets.
MUFA and the Mediterranean diet
In recent years, the main reason MUFA has been "promoted" may be due to the success of the Mediterranean diet. MUFA (in the form of olive oil) is a key component of the Mediterranean diet and is the primary source of fat in that diet.
In numerous clinical studies, the Mediterranean diet has been closely associated with reduced overall mortality, as well as decreased mortality from cardiovascular diseases and cancers (especially colorectal, prostate, and breast cancers). The Mediterranean diet can also reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Finally, this diet seems to be associated with a lower incidence of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
The Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, along with a high content of olive oil. It also includes moderate amounts of poultry, fish, cheese, and red wine. However, one particularly prominent aspect of the Mediterranean diet is the high consumption of olive oil, which is MUFA. In the view of most dietitians, the fact that it contains a large amount of MUFA is one of the reasons why the Mediterranean diet appears to be so healthy.
Including MUFA in the diet
Olive oil is the primary dietary source of MUFA. Olive oil is liquid at room temperature but quickly solidifies when placed in the refrigerator. It can be used as a cooking oil if kept at moderate temperatures. Olive oil is often used as a dipping oil and can typically replace butter, gravy, or dressings.
In addition to olive oil, MUFA is also found in avocados, most nuts, low-erucic acid rapeseed and sunflower oils, as well as peanut butter.