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Today we continue with our study of fat. We've already gone over what fat is in general, so it's time to start examining the different types of fat in greater detail. Today: monounsaturated fat. As before, we'll work through some material from Wikipedia to see what we can learn.
As can be deduced, different types of fat are determined by their chemical makeup. Some chemical formulations of fat are better for us than others, with all of them being comprised of fatty acids and triesters of glycerol as explained in the last post.
The fluidity and melting temperature of fat may seem insignificant, but it's worth giving some thought to as we consider what types of fat are found in various types of food. Consider the fact that manufacturers of processed food likely often choose fats based on their physical properties (such as fluidity and melting point) rather than on health values.
Although polyunsaturated fats protect against cardiovascular disease by providing more membrane fluidity than monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats are more vulnerable to lipid peroxidation (rancidity) than monounsaturated fats. On the other hand, monounsaturated fatty acids (like unsaturated fats) promote insulin resistance, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids are protective against insulin resistance.
We can take a great deal of comfort in the fact that monounsaturated fats occur a lot in nature. The food safety of foods containing monounsaturated fats is also improved due to its resistance to rancidity. It sounds like monounsaturated fat is definitely a 'good fat' that we don't have to shy away from. Recall that good fats are an important source of energy for our bodies and are an important part of a healthy diet.
Other natural sources of monounsaturated fats include: oatmeal, cereal, whole grain wheat, popcorn and more.
Text from Wikipedia licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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