Monounsaturated fatty acids

Monounsaturated fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids containing a single double bond. Examples include oleic acid, palmitoleic acid, and erucic acid, significant sources of which include olive oils, fish oils, and rapeseed oils respectively. They are central to heart-healthy dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet, associated with favorable blood lipid profiles when they replace saturated fats. Oils rich in them, including olive, canola, and high-oleic sunflower oils, also resist oxidation better than polyunsaturated oils, giving fried and stored foods longer shelf life and better flavor stability. Nutrition labels highlight them as the desirable fat fraction.