The Almighty MUFAs: An Ode to Avocados
12 Mar 2009 ~ Categories: blog • body • face
I know it sounds like a dirty acronym. But what MUFA actually stands for is “Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid”. MUFAs are the good fats. And yes there is such a thing.
Fats have traditionally gotten a bad rap in our culture. They are often accused of being literally “fattening”. But in truth, they are a necessary part of a balanced diet. It’s just a matter of choosing the right ones and eating them in reasonable amounts. Because eating a small amount of fats daily is crucial to maintaining metabolic health focusing your fat intake on eating MUFAs is actually considered a good way to lose weight by most dietary experts
Replacing the “bad” fats (saturated fats and trans fats that is) and replacing them with MUFAs has been associated with weight loss (especially in the pesky belly area) and better overall health. The skin benefits greatly as well. In fact, Mediterranean cultures with their high consumption of olive oils and other MUFA-containing foods have an impressively low rate of heart disease and a high rate of healthy, pretty looking skin.
Finding MUFAs is easy. Besides olive oil, they are rampant in such yummy stuff as nuts, avocados (oh how I love you, avocados), popcorn, olives and whole grain wheat. Find out the breakdown of foods that contain MUFAs.
Oils high in MUFAs (like olive oil and peanut oil) are considered especially good for cooking because they remain stable at higher temperatures and do not become “hydrogenated” easily.
This is what the American Heart Association has to say about MUFAs: “Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also provide nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells. Monounsaturated fats are also typically high in vitamin E an antioxidant vitamin most Americans need more of.”
They’re the experts, I suppose. I’m sold on any excuse to eat more of my favorite things.
Cheers to the MUFAs of the world,
Amy
