Oleic Acid Is a Monounsaturated Fatty Acid That Can Be Found in Many Plant and Animal Products

It is a type of fatty acid and a healthy source of dietary fat. Oleic acid is often used as a substitute for animal fat sources that are high in saturated fat. Many butter and egg substitutes available on the market are made with large amounts of oleic acid.

Oleic Acid is a Suitable Type of Fat for Consumption

As a substitute for other saturated fats, it can lower total cholesterol levels, decrease low-density lipoprotein levels, and increase high-density lipoprotein levels. Switching to cooking oils high in oleic acid is not difficult because there are many sources to choose from. From a health perspective, oleic acid has even more benefits. It has been proven to help prevent heart disease and promote the generation of antioxidants. An interesting use of oleic acid is as a component of Lorenzo's oil, a medication that helps prevent adrenoleukodystrophy, a disease that specifically attacks the myelin in boys' bodies and causes symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis. Although Lorenzo's oil cannot cure the disease, it can delay its progression.

One of the main sources of oleic acid is olive oil, which is also one of the most delicious cooking oils. Canola oil and grapeseed oil are also good choices as they contain high amounts of this fat. In addition to being used as cooking oils, oleic acid is also an ingredient in many products, such as soaps and beauty products. As a cosmetic ingredient, oleic acid is an excellent moisturizer. In fact, many people use natural vegetable oils like olive oil directly as skin moisturizers.

Since the oleic acid synthesized by the human body cannot meet its needs, it must be obtained from food. Therefore, cooking oils high in oleic acid are more beneficial to health, and the amount of oleic acid has become an important indicator of the quality of cooking oil. Compared to regular cooking vegetable oils, high-oleic vegetable oils have higher oleic acid content, plant sterol content, oxidation induction period, and shelf life to varying degrees. They are a type of high-quality cooking oil with higher nutritional value, longer shelf life, and stronger market potential and competitiveness. Oleic acid can also positively regulate lipid metabolism, reduce the oxidative sensitivity of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, protect vascular endothelium, and reduce the hypercoagulable state of the blood, thereby reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Oleic Acid as a Monounsaturated Fatty Acid

Oleic acid also has the effect of lowering blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, and improving endothelial dysfunction. Diets rich in oleic acid can effectively improve insulin sensitivity and related cardiometabolic risks, as well as improve blood lipids, systemic inflammatory responses, and endothelial dysfunction. For supportive treatment of diabetes patients, a high-oleic diet is a good alternative to a low-fat diet.