Eating lots of monounsaturated fat sounds like an unhealthy thing to do. All our lives, we are advised to eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Low-fat eating is something we accept, unquestionably.
In reality, fats serve a number of useful purposes. They help with nerve transmissions, nutrient absorption, while helping to maintain the integrity of the cell membrane. However, when consumed in excess, they contribute to weight gain, and increase the risk of developing heart disease and Cancer.
Fortunately, there are some 'good' fats.
One of those is monounsaturated fat.
In fact, it probably is the healthiest of all fats. It has none of the adverse qualities of its unhealthy 'brother', saturated fat.
A story from the American Heart Association explains the characteristics of the Mediterranean diet. They stated that there is not one Mediterranean diet as there are 16 countries bordering the Mediterranean.
However, a typical Mediterranean diet has the following characteristics:
It has a high consumption of fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals, potatoes, seeds, and nuts.
Dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in minimal amounts
They use olive oil which is high in monounsaturated fats
Eggs are eaten zero to four times a week
They consume wine in low to moderate amounts
They conclude that those following the Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than in the typical American diet. More than half the calories in the typical Mediterranean diet comes from monounsaturated fat.
Do yourself a favor by increasing your daily intake of this particular fat.
If used as a replacement for other fats, it is good for normal heart health, as it lowers cholesterol levels.
In fact, Olive Oil has been found to raise levels of HDL, the good cholesterol.
The American Heart Association has recommended that a diet high in these fats can be an alternative to its currently recommended 30% fat diet.
In fact, Harvard researchers have found that total fat levels in our diets are not linked with disease. What is really important is the type of fat in our diets.
Research Studies
Five large epidemiological studies found consumption of nuts, a food high in monounsaturated fat, will put you at lower risk for developing heart disease. Researchers found substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrates lowered the risk of developing heart disease by 30 percent.
They found that if it was substituted for an equal amount of saturated fat, risk was lowered by 45 percent.
In southern Europe, a relatively low occurrence of prostate Cancer has been found in individuals typically consuming the 'Mediterranean' diet, a diet high in unsaturated fats.
Researchers have also discovered that a diet high in this fat protects skin from the harmful effects of the sun.
Another study of 164 individuals was done to determine the effect of diet on blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Saturated fat was replaced with either a protein, carbohydrate, or monounsaturated fat diet. Blood pressure and total cholesterol levels decreased on all three diets.
This study suggests individuals with high blood pressure or cholesterol can reduce those levels by increasing their intake of proteins or unsaturated fats.
In another study, researchers found that women who consumed large amounts of these 'good' fats have a lower risk of developing breast cancer.
There is no RDA for these fats, nor is there a tolerable upper intake level.
The dietary guidelines for Americans suggest no more than 10 percent of total calories should be from this fat.
Food Sources
Nuts - including almonds, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, filberts, pecans, and pistachio nuts. Avoid these if you are allergic to nuts.
Various cooking oils including olive, canola, peanut, and sesame
Avocados
Sesame seeds
Peanut butter
Soybeans
Fish
So, go munch on some almonds. It's good for you!
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