Monounsaturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats

There is a lot of information provided to consumers about the foods we eat and how they affect our body''s blood cholesterol. Many people have difficulty understanding the different types of fats and oils found in food sources.

Two common types of fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Both peanut butter and olive oil are examples of monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil salad dressing turns cloudy when it is in the refrigerator, then clears up when it is left on the table or counter. A layer of oil forms on top of non-hydrogenated peanut butter when it remains at room temperature. The oil that you see floating on top of peanut butter is the peanut oil. Monounsaturated fats, typically stored in liquid form when at room temperature, contain monounsaturated fatty acids that lower blood cholesterol. When refrigerated this healthy fat turns into its solid form.

Blood cholesterol content is reduced by increasing the good HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol, and lowering the bad LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. In some cases, monounsaturated fatty acids can assist with the decrease of triglycerides. Excellent sources of monounsaturated fats are peanuts, peanut butter, olives, olive and canola oil, and all other varieties of nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds, pecans, almonds, and sesame seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats, found mostly in fish, soy, and walnuts, contain oils that are in liquid form both at and below room temperature. These fatty acids help in lowering the level of your total blood cholesterol by decreasing the bad LDL cholesterol. Omega three and Omega six are two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are known factors in contributing to reduced risk of heart attack, cancer, and stroke. Omega three fatty acids also contain properties that lower the triglyceride levels. Primary sources of polyunsaturated fats are found in a variety of fish such as trout, herring, tuna, salmon, and mackerel. Corn oil, soybean oil, and safflower oil also contain these fatty acids.

William Miller is an author for several online magazines, on wellness and health and health tips topics.