Monounsaturated fatty acids coronary heart disease

Monounsaturated fats Triacylglycerols containing primarily fatty acids with one double bond are referred to as monounsaturated fat. Unsaturated fatty acids are generally derived from vegetables and fish. When substituted for saturated fatty acids in the diet, monounsaturated fats lower both total plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but increase HDLs. This ability of monounsaturated fats to favorably modify lipoprotein levels may explain, in part, the observation that Mediterranean cultures, with diets rich in olive oil (high in monounsaturated oleic acid), show a low incidence of coronary heart disease. 

The physiological effects of vegetable oil are based on their fatty acid composition. Current US dietary guidelines recommend that diets contain less than 30% calories from fat, of which less than 10% is from saturated fat, 10-15% from monounsaturated acid, and 10% from polyunsaturated acids. The primary concerns with fatty acid consumption relate to two chronic diseases—coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer. Research has shown that high levels of dietary saturated fatty acids are related to increased CHD and that dietary modification can lower plasma cholesterol. Consequent changes in cholesterol level can be predicted by the following relationship (Hegsted et al. 1993). 

We have seen in Section F that the dietary factors linked with the incidence of coronary heart disease reflect complex relations that cannot be simply based on ratios of polyunsaturated to saturated fats. It is now evident that not all saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats play the same role in nutrition, n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids are not particularly effective in lowering serum cholesterol, but markedly reduce serum triacylglycerols in hypertriglyceridic subjects. The recent tendency has been to make nutritional recommendations on the basis of total fat intake and on the ratio of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Reducing n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be an effective way of utilizing relatively low and more practical amounts of fish oils. 

Monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil Coronary heart disease... 

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2006) has approved a health claim for conventional canola oil that states canola is high in unsaturated fats and consnming 1.5 tablespoons of canola oil per day may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease . Potential health benefits of conventional canola oil are largely due to its relatively low levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA 1% of total fatty acids) and high amonnts of the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), oleic acid (OA 61% of total fatty acids Canola Council of Canada, 2008). Conventional canola oil is also a good source of two essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), linoleic acid (LA 21% of total fatty acids), an n-6 PUFA, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA 11% of total fatty acids), an n-3 PUFA. This composition of LA and ALA results in a low, 2 1 ratio of n-6 n-3. 

See also Antioxidants Diet and Antioxidant Defense Observationai Studies Intervention Studies. Coronary Heart Disease Lipid Theory. Dietary Fiber Role in Nutritional Management of Disease. Fatty Acids Monounsaturated Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Saturated. Fish. Folic Acid. Potassium. Sodium Physiology Salt Intake and Health. Vegetarian Diets. 

See also Coronary Heart Disease Lipid Theory. Fatty Acids Metabolism Monounsaturated Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Saturated Trans Fatty Acids. Fish. 

A fat content of 20-35% is strongly recommended in the 2005 dietary guidelines for Americans released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The fat in today s diet is about 40% saturated, 40% monounsaturated, and 20% polyunsaturated. Lowering the saturated and monounsaturated fat and raising the polyunsaturated fat content of the diet is also strongly recommended. What is the basis for these recommendations Heart disease is the primary cause of death in the United States (Section 17.1), and atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque on the inner walls of arteries, reduces the flow of hlood to the heart. If a coronary artery is blocked by plaque, a heart attack occurs as a result of the reduced blood flow carrying oxygen to the heart. About 98% of all heart attack victims have atherosclerosis, and the major components of atherosclerotic plaque are saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. 

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