Monounsaturated fats - Definition and Overview

In nutrition, monounsaturated fats are dietary fats with one double-bonded carbon in the molecule, with all of the others single-bonded carbons. Monounsaturated fats are currently viewed as being "healthier" than other dietary fats used for cooking and eating. Although they have the same concentration of calories, they may result in reduced blood cholesterol levels, which reduces the chance of heart disease.

Compare monounsaturated fat with polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat.