Unsaturated fats are an essential part of your daily diet.
What are Unsaturated Fats?
The Benefits of Unsaturated Fat
The fats you consume affect your levels of good and bad cholesterol.
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Saturated fats raise low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), the bad cholesterol that clogs your arteries.
Consuming too much saturated fat increases your risk of peripheral artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, improve levels ofhigh-density lipoproteins (HDLs).
HDLs are called good cholesterol because they carry LDL to your liver, which removes it from your body.
There are two types of unsaturated fats:polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
Sample different varieties like Kalamata, Manzanilla, and Castelvetrano to experience the array of flavors.
Nuts
These delicious foods come in a wide variety of types.
Nuts are high in both PUFAs and monounsaturated fats.
Fatty Fish
Fish are generally lean and good to include in your lipid-lowering diet.
Avoid frying the fish, as this can introduce calories and unhealthy trans fats into your diet.
Choose unsalted varieties, or be mindful of salt content so you don’t consume too much sodium.
Dark Chocolate
Of the total fat indark chocolate, not quite half is unsaturated fat.
Dark chocolate containing 70%-85% cocoa also provides fiber, iron, and magnesium.
Though dark chocolate is healthy, moderation is still important because 1 ounce has 170 calories.
Avoiding sweetened chocolate is also important.
Excess sugar can lower good and raise bad cholesterol levels.
Are Supplements Just As Good?
Summary
Unsaturated fats are part of a heart-healthy diet.
Consuming more may raise your risk of heart disease.
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