Unsaturated fats are recommended as a part of a healthy diet and as a replacement for unhealthy saturated fats. Unsaturated fats come in two forms: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Although there are differences between these two types of unsaturated fats, the differences are minimal. Adding foods rich in either of these fats to your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke as a result of high blood pressure.
Basics
Due to the limited differences between monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, food labels are not required to list the specific amounts of either fat in packed foods. Therefore, if you are looking to increase the amount of one unsaturated fat in your diet, you will need to know which types of food are more likely to contain one or the other.
Structure
The chemical structures of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are slightly different. Monounsaturated fats have only one carbon that is double bonded, while polyunsaturated fats have more than one carbon that is double bonded in each molecule. These fat behave differently when chilled, polyunsaturated fats will remain solid and monounsaturated fats will begin to turn solid, notes the American Heart Association.
Foods With Unsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fats are found in high amounts in foods such as peanut butter, some nuts, olive oils, canola oils and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are contained in significant amounts in foods such as fatty fish such as salmon, halibut, walnuts and seeds. These foods all contain some of both of these types of unsaturated fats, but have more of one type.
Significance
While both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats play a significant role in maintaining your overall health, they play slightly different roles. Polyunsaturated fats provide you with the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids that your body does not naturally produce, notes AHA. These fatty acids are important to keep your brain functioning well and to aid in the healthy growth and development of your body.
According to the AHA, monounsaturated fats can provide you with a significant source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps the cells across your body repair and rebuild.
Considerations
Using unsaturated fats to replace saturated fats in your diet can decrease your blood cholesterol levels, improve your overall health and reduce your risk of experiencing an untimely death as a result of heart disease. The AHA recommends your daily fat intake not be divided between monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, but that you get 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories from a combination of both these fats. The health benefits of these fats are not different enough to ensure that you consume certain amounts of either, instead it is important to consume both forms.
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