Monounsaturated fats – found mainly in certain vegetable and nut oil, including olive, peanut, and canola- have been shown to reduce total blood cholesterol without lowering levels of the good cholesterol, HDL. Indeed , some monounsaturated fats have been shown to raise HDL levels.
Most experts agree that it is best to limit fat consumption and to choose mostly monounsaturated fats, which increase need for saturated fat.
Like all dietary fats, monounsaturated fats provide calories and help the body absorb certain vitamins, cushion and insulate the body, and support many body processes. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are chemically classified as fatty acids containing a single double bond (in contrast to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) containing two or more double bonds and saturated fatty acids (SFA) without double bonds).
Monounsaturated fats
