What are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids?
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids are two types of unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fats have at least one unsaturated bond — that is, at least one place that hydrogen can be added to the molecule. They’re often found in liquid oils of vegetable origin. • Polyunsaturated oils are liquid at room temperature and in the refrigerator. They easily combine with oxygen in the air to become rancid. Common sources of polyunsaturated fats are listed in the table below. • Monounsaturated oils are liquid at room temperature but start to solidify at refrigerator temperatures. See the table below for sources. Polyunsaturated fats tend to help your body get rid of newly formed cholesterol. Thus, they keep the blood cholesterol level down and reduce cholesterol deposits in artery walls. Recent research has shown that monounsaturated fats may also help reduce blood cholesterol as long as the diet is very low in saturated fat. Both types of unsaturated fats may help lower your blood ch
