What are MUFAs and why should they be in the diet?

Monounsaturated fatty acids are the form of healthy fats most commonly found in olive oil, nuts, and some foods of animal origin. Diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids can help with weight loss and reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, as long as they don't add calories to the diet. Foods containing MUFAs, especially olive oil, may also help reduce the risk of cancer, inflammation and insulin resistance.

Unsaturated fats are substances that have double bonds in their chemical structure. Monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs are a type of unsaturated fat. “Mono”, meaning one, denotes that the monounsaturated fatty acid has only one double bond.
There are different types of MUFAs, with oleic acid being the most common, accounting for 90% of the amount found in the diet. Other MUFAs include palmitic acid and vaccenic acid.
Most foods contain not one but many different types of fat. There are very few foods that contain only one type of fat. For example, olive oil is high in MUFAs and other fats. Foods high in unsaturated fatty acids like olive oil are usually liquid at room temperature, while foods high in saturated fats, like butter and coconut oil, are usually solid at room temperature.
Each type of fat has different health benefits. In particular, monounsaturated fatty acids have been shown to have a number of health benefits.

All fats provide the same amount of energy of 9 calories per gram, while carbs and protein provide 4 calories per gram. Therefore, reducing the amount of fat in the diet can be an effective way to reduce calories and lose weight.
However, a diet with moderate to high amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids can also help with weight loss, as long as you don't eat more calories than you're burning. A few studies have shown that when calorie intake remains the same, a diet rich in MUFAs can help with weight loss similar to a low-fat diet.
For example, a study of 124 overweight and obese people showed that eating a diet rich in MUFAs (20% of total calories) or a high-carb diet for one year resulted in weight loss equivalent to about 4 kg.
A larger study that combined the results of 24 other studies found that diets rich in MUFAs were slightly more effective than diets high in carbs for weight loss. Therefore, a diet rich in MUFAs could be an effective way to lose weight by replacing other types of calories, rather than adding extra calories to the diet.

There is evidence that increasing the amount of MUFAs in your diet can reduce your risk factors for cardiovascular disease , especially if you are limiting your consumption of saturated fat .
Too much cholesterol in the blood is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as it can clog arteries and lead to heart attacks or strokes. Various studies have shown that eating more monounsaturated fatty acids can lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides.
For example, one study of 162 healthy people compared a diet rich in MUFAs with a diet high in saturated fat to see the effects on blood cholesterol. The results showed that a diet high in saturated fat increased unhealthy LDL cholesterol by 4%, while a diet high in MUFAs reduced LDL cholesterol by 5%. Other smaller studies have found similar results of MUFAs lowering LDL cholesterol and also increasing "good" HDL cholesterol.
Diets rich in MUFAs can also help lower blood pressure. A large study of 164 people with high blood pressure found that a diet rich in MUFAs reduced blood pressure and the risk of heart disease compared to a diet high in carbs.
Similar beneficial results on blood pressure have also been found in people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. However, it is important to note that the beneficial effects of a diet rich in MUFAs were only seen when they were used in place of saturated fat or carbs in the diet.
Furthermore, in each of these studies, a diet rich in MUFAs was part of a calorie-controlled diet, which means that adding more calories to your diet through foods high in MUFAs may be possible. does not provide the same benefit.

Some evidence suggests that a diet rich in MUFAs may help reduce the risk of some cancers. Diets high in MUFAs have been studied in relation to breast cancer risk. One large study of 642 women found that those with the highest levels of oleic acid (a type of MUFA found in olive oil) in adipose tissue had the lowest rates of breast cancer. However, this only happened among women in Spain, where olive oil is widely consumed, but not among women from other countries. This suggests that another component of olive oil may have a protective effect. In fact, several studies have examined olive oil specifically and found that people who eat a lot of olive oil have lower rates of breast cancer.
Furthermore, all of these studies are observational, which means that cause and effect cannot be proven. Therefore, other components of diet and lifestyle may contribute to this beneficial effect.

Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar by moving glucose from the blood into the cells. The production of insulin is important for preventing high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.
Studies have shown that a diet rich in MUFAs can improve insulin sensitivity in both people with and without high blood sugar.
A study of 162 healthy people showed that eating a diet rich in MUFAs for 3 months improved insulin sensitivity by 9%. A similar, separate study of 472 people with metabolic syndrome found that those who ate a diet rich in MUFAs for 12 weeks experienced a significant reduction in insulin resistance.
Other studies have found similar beneficial effects of a diet rich in MUFAs on insulin and blood sugar control.

Inflammation is the immune system's response to help the body fight infection. But sometimes inflammation happens slowly over a long period of time, which can lead to chronic diseases like obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Compared to other diets like the high-saturated fat diet and the Western diet, a diet high in MUFAs can reduce inflammation.
One study found that a diet rich in MUFAs reduced inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome, compared with a diet high in saturated fat. Other studies have shown that people who eat a Mediterranean diet rich in MUFAs have significantly lower blood levels of inflammatory chemicals such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). .
Diets rich in MUFAs can also reduce the expression of inflammatory genes in adipose tissue compared with a diet high in saturated fat. This may be one of the ways that MUFAs are helpful for weight loss. By reducing inflammation, a diet rich in MUFAs may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

The best sources of MUFAs are plant-based foods, including nuts and olive oil. They can also be found in meat and foods of animal origin. In fact, some evidence suggests that plant-based sources of MUFAs, especially olive oil, are preferred over animal sources. This may be due to additional beneficial components in olive oil.
Here is a list of foods high in MUFAs, along with the amounts in 100g of foods:
Olive oil: 73.1 grams Almonds: 33.6 grams Cashews: 27.3 grams Peanuts: 24 ,7 grams Pistachios: 24.2 grams Olives: 15 grams Pumpkin seeds: 13.1 grams Pork: 10.7 grams Butter: 9.8 grams Sunflower seeds: 9.5 grams Eggs: 4 grams MUFAs are a type of unsaturated fat, has many benefits for human health. Accordingly, you should supplement MUFAs of plant origin so that the body can absorb and ensure the best health effects.

References: .mayoclinic.org, healthline.com