Dietary fats, also called lipids, play a significant role in health and disease. Eating healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids that include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, may lower your risk of heart disease and reduce inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases. Healthy fats are found in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, nuts and seeds. Consult your doctor about eating foods rich in lipids that are healthy for you.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Olive oil contains high concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids that can lower your blood levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol -- the bad cholesterol -- normalize blood clotting and enhance your ability to control blood sugar. Olive oil may also increase your ability to lose weight. Research by scientists at The Miriam Hospital and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and published in the "Journal of Women's Health" in 2010 discovered that an olive oil-enriched diet results in greater weight loss than a lower-fat diet during an eight-week comparison.
Avocados
Avocados are a fruit but are eaten as a vegetable. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat. Eating avocados may inhibit cancer cell growth. Research by scientists at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and published in "Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications" in 2011 discovered avocados have potential anti-cancer activity. Research by scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles and published in "The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry" in 2005 found that avocados contain carotenoids that have anti-cancer properties are particularly protective against prostate cancer and are absorbed into the blood stream with monounsaturated fat from the fruit.
Nuts
Nuts are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Almonds, pecans and hazelnuts are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. Frequent consumption of walnuts is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, according to research by scientists at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia, and published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in 2002.
Seeds
Seeds, such as pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and flax, are also rich in healthy fats, particularly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Research by scientists at the Animal Physiology Laboratory, Sciences Faculty in Tunisia and published in "Food and Chemical Toxicology" in 2008 found that pumpkin seeds and flax seeds have properties that can protect against atherosclerosis and liver disease. The scientists conclude that the results are partly due to the unsaturated fatty acids present in the foods.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health; Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, in with the Good; 2010
- MayoClinic.com; What Are the Health Benefits of Olive Oil? Is Extra-Virgin Oil Better Than Regular Olive Oil?; Hensrud, D.; 2010
- "Journal of Women's Health"; Comparing an Olive Oil-Enriched Diet to a Standard Lower-Fat Diet for Weight Loss in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Pilot Study; Mary Flynn; June 2010
- "Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications"; Aliphatic Acetogenin Constituents of Avocado Fruits Inhibit Human Oral Cancer Cell Proliferation by Targeting the EGFR/RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK1/2 Pathway; S.M. D'Ambrosio, et al.; May 8, 2011
- "The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry"; Inhibition of Prostate Cancer Cell Growth by an Avocado Extract: Role of Lipid-Soluble Bioactive Substances; Qing Yi Lu, et al.; January 2005
- "Journal of Nutrition"; The Scientific Evidence for a Beneficial Health Relationship Between Walnuts and Coronary Heart Disease; Elaine Feldman; May 2002
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