Why Do You Need Unsaturated Fats in Your Diet?

Unsaturated fats can be understood as the ones that are an important part of the healthy diet routine to lower bad cholesterol levels in your body. They are often loosely packed and found in liquid form at room temperature.

Unsaturated fats can also be referred to as "good fats", which will help in managing the level of high-density lipoprotein. It carries bad cholesterol towards your liver, which can later be flushed from your system.

In this article, we will discuss everything about unsaturated fats: what are they, their benefits, and if they are good for your health.

Olive oil (Image via Pexels/Pixabay)

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What Is Unsaturated Fat

There are two types of unsaturated fats that can be incorporated into your diet, which include monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Consumption of monounsaturated fats from plant-based foods will help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as overall mortality. Examples of foods that tend to be high in this type of fat include nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil, and peanut oil.

Polyunsaturated fats tend to be important for the functioning of your body as they help with blood clotting as well as muscle movement. You need to consume this fat type throughout the diet as your body does not produce polyunsaturated fats. They can be further bifurcated into omega-3 fatty acids, which tend to be beneficial for your heart health and omega-6 fatty acids.

However, you should vary from incorporating too many omega-6 fatty acids into your diet routine as it might raise the probability of health conditions such as obesity along with increased inflammation in your body.

Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids include hemp seeds, soya beans, fatty fish, oysters, sunflower seeds, walnuts, chia seeds, and more. Foods that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids include corn oil, canola oil, walnut oil, soya bean oil, and sunflower oil.

Consumption of unsaturated fats in your diet tends to be crucial for your body as it will help in boosting the energy levels of your body, promoting cell growth, and production of important hormones. Improve nutrient absorption and protection of your organs.

Consumption of healthy amounts of unsaturated fats in your routine will also help in reducing the probability related to vascular disease and heart disease.

Fatty fish (Image via Pexels/Leonardo Luz)

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Unsaturated Fat Foods

Here are some of the foods that are rich in unsaturated fats:

Nuts such as pecans, pistachios, and almonds can even be used as a satisfying snack in your routine. Make sure that these nuts are rich in protein, phytosterol, fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Seeds such as chia, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower.

Certain oils such as soya beans, olives, safflowers, vegetables, and canola.

Fatty fish such as anchovies, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and herring.

As you incorporate more unsaturated fats into your diet, you should also work on swapping foods that are high in saturated fats from your diet. Otherwise, it will lead to an overall increase in your lipid levels, which will result in increased weight in your body.

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Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Unsaturated fatty acids can be understood as fatty acids, which include one or more double bonds and lead to the absorption of increased hydrogen atoms. Some of their examples include myristoleic acid, arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, erucic acid, sapienic acid, and more.

Nuts and seeds (Image via Pexels/Marta Branco)

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Is Unsaturated Fats Good

Unsaturated foods in moderation can be considered beneficial for your overall health and body, which includes stabilization of heart rhythms, easing inflammation, and improving blood cholesterol levels in your body.

Eating a healthy diet means that you should also incorporate unsaturated fats or healthy fats into your diet, which includes avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

However, make sure not to over consume any nutrients that can lead to weight gain along with increasing the risk of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Make sure to select the right type of fats and incorporate them into your routine in moderation.