When planning a heart-healthy diet, it's important to know that not all fats are the same. Coronary heart disease begins when saturated fat and cholesterol build up on the inner walls of the arteries serving your heart, narrowing the vessels and making them more rigid. However, eating more monounsaturated fats can help prevent coronary heart disease and keep blood vessels healthy.
Identification
Monounsaturated fats have a single double-bonded, or "unsaturated," carbon atom. They're usually liquid at room temperature but may harden when they're chilled. Olive, canola, sunflower, sesame and peanut oils are rich in monounsaturated fats. Nuts, seeds, avocados and peanut butter are also good sources of monounsaturated fats.
Effects
Monounsaturated fats help create and maintain healthy cells throughout your body, and are rich in antioxidant vitamin E that promotes overall health. If you keep your diet low in saturated and trans fats, monounsaturated fats can lower your total blood cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease, states the American Heart Association.
Expert Insight
In 2004, a panel convened by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute developed the therapeutic lifestyle changes, or TLC, diet for cholesterol control and heart disease prevention. This diet recommends limiting your total fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of your daily caloric needs, keeping saturated fats at 7 percent or less and reducing trans fat intake below 1 percent. The rest of your total fat intake should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Considerations
While monounsaturated fats are considered healthy fats, they still contain 9 calories per gram just like all other fats. Think about replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, rather than adding monounsaturated fats on top of your usual intake.
Smart Substitutions
While the American diet has traditionally been heavy in saturated fats from butter, margarine and other full-fat dairy products, health-conscious cooks are learning to substitute monounsaturated fats. Use small amounts of olive oil to lightly saute main dishes, add avocado to sandwiches instead of cheese, drizzle olive oil on your salad and marinate meats or fish in olive oil. Eat a handful of nuts or seeds four times a week rather than munching on potato chips, processed snacks and other foods high in saturated and trans fats.
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