Unlocking Heart Health: The Power of Polyunsaturated & Monounsaturated Fats in Your Diet

Olive oil and butter, mortal enemies (just joking)

Do I really need to eat fats?

Fun fact, the human body needs dietary fat to survive! Fat is important because it helps us make hormones (like testosterone and estrogen) and insulates us, making it harder for us to get cold. It also helps us absorb important nutrients like our fat-soluble vitamins, aka vitamins A, D, E & K. Some fats are essential to the body and without them, well we die. Essential fatty acids are just that, essential to get from food because we can't make them in our bodies. Without fat, we would end up with multiple vitamin deficiencies and with a fatty acid deficiency. This can lead to alopecia (i.e., hair loss), intellectual disabilities, scaly dermatitis (i.e., scaly, red and inflamed skin), and other uncomfortable and even deadly consequences.

Diving into liquid fats first: what are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats?

Unsaturated fats (i.e., poly- and mono-) are liquid at room temperature, meaning they don't clog your arteries the same way that saturated (i.e., solid at room temperature) and trans fats do. Have you gotten 'bad bloodwork results' back? Unsaturated fats also lower LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. (1,2) This means that these 'healthy fats' can lower rates of early death and cardiovascular disease, so you might consider swapping the saturated fats out and replacing them with the unsaturated fats.

Who cares, Alex?

In Michigan in 2019, 25,500 people died after suffering from heart disease (the leading cause of death in Michigan), and 5,159 people died after suffering from a stroke (the fifth leading cause of death in Michigan). (3) The rates of heart disease are actually higher in Michigan than the average rates in America. Even worse, between 2017 and 2020 about 50% of Americans had some form of cardiovascular disease. (4) I want to avoid being part of that statistic, and I do that by focusing on healthier swaps.

Delicious examples of 'healthy fats' include:

1. Extra-virgin olive oil

2. Avocado

3. Eggs (yes, even the yolk is okay) (5)

4. Fatty-fish, or fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., salmon, tuna, trout, swordfish, etc.)

5. Nuts or nut butters: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc.

6. Flaxseed
   

Okay, but what are saturated and trans fats?

They're the 'bad fats' that increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. (1,2) Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, and can clog the arteries of your heart, especially if you aren't an active person. Trans fats are often found in processed foods, and are naturally occurring in dairy products (e.g., as vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid). They have also been linked to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and also raise 'bad' or LDL-cholesterol levels.

Some saturated and trans- fats examples include:

1. Butter

2. Dairy products (like cheese, ice cream and milk from cows)

3. Lard
   

I'm not saying no butter ever, so relax Paula Dean. I'm saying limiting saturated fats and swapping them out for unsaturated fats can lead to a better quality of life and a healthier you. The American Heart Association does recommend ditching the artificial trans-fat, hydrogenated oils and tropical oils related to consumption increasing the risk of heart disease and raising LDL-cholesterol levels, so please consider doing that. (1) Now you know the facts about the fats!

So, what do you think? Are you ready to start swapping the 'bad fats' for the 'good fats' for a healthier heart, healthier you and better quality of life as you age?

**Comment below and reach out with any thoughts or questions!**

Written by Alexandria Root, Rooted In Dietetics Owner & Nutritionist on 7/22/24

*Click the DOIs to check out great articles, like the one from the American Heart Association President!

References:

1. Fats. www.heart.org. October 27, 2023. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats.
   

2. Sacks FM, Lichtenstein AH, Wu JHY, et al. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association [published correction appears in Circulation. 2017 Sep 5;136(10):e195. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000529]. Circulation. 2017;136(3):e1-e23. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510

3. Data & Statistics. SOM - State of Michigan. June 2022. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/chronicdiseases/cardiovascular/data-statistics.
   

4. 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update Fact Sheet.
   

5. Antoni R. Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol: cracking the myths around eggs and cardiovascular disease. J Nutr Sci. 2023;12:e97. Published 2023 Sep 11. doi:10.1017/jns.2023.82