1. Home
  2. Nutrients
  3. Monounsaturated fat
Heart-healthy fat

Monounsaturated fat, the olive oil fat

Monounsaturated fat, found in olive oil, avocados and nuts, can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol when it replaces saturated or trans fat1.

FatsTracked in gFor information9 sources · checked 2026-09-27

How much you need

A glass gravy boat of golden olive oil with dark olives inside, on a white surface
Photo: Mareefe on Pexels (Pexels License)
01 What it does

What monounsaturated fat does for you.

Helps lower LDL

Monounsaturated fats can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol level1.

Builds your cells

They help develop and maintain your cells1.

A smart swap

Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats may lower LDL and heart disease risk234.

Energy dense

Like all fats, they carry 9 calories per gram, over twice that of carbs or protein1.

02 How your body uses it

How your body uses monounsaturated fat.

How your body uses monounsaturated fat: Fat in food → Small intestine → Lipase → Chylomicrons → Lymph to blood → Muscle & fat → Liver01Fat in foodOlive oil, nuts, avocado02Small intestineBile emulsifies the fat03LipaseSplits it into fattyacids04ChylomicronsRepacked inside gutcells05Lymph to bloodVia the thoracic duct06Muscle & fatBurned for energy orstored07LiverClears remnants, makesVLDLHow your body uses monounsaturated fat: Fat in food → Small intestine → Lipase → Chylomicrons → Lymph to blood → Muscle & fat → Liver01Fat in foodOlive oil, nuts, avocado02Small intestineBile emulsifies the fat03LipaseSplits it into fatty acids04ChylomicronsRepacked inside gut cells05Lymph to bloodVia the thoracic duct06Muscle & fatBurned for energy or stored07LiverClears remnants, makes VLDL

Bile and lipase break fat into fatty acids that travel in chylomicrons through lymph into the blood56. Muscle and fat tissue then burn them for energy or store them8.

03 Where to get it

Foods and other sources.

Olive oilAvocadoCanola oilAlmondsPeanutsPeanut butterSesame oilMacadamiasPecans

Vegetarian

Food and servingAmount
Olive oil, 1 tbsp9.9 g
Canola oil, 1 tbsp8.9 g
Avocado, cubed, 1 cup14.7 g
Macadamia nuts, raw, 1 oz16.7 g
Pecans, 1 oz11.6 g
Almonds, 1 oz9.0 g
Peanut butter, smooth, 2 tbsp8.3 g

Non-vegetarian

Food and servingAmount
Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked, 3 oz3.6 g

Swap butter and solid fats for olive, avocado or canola oil, and keep nut portions small1. Amounts per serving from7.

04 How much you need

Your daily reference amounts.

The same reference table draws the reference lines on your charts in Ayuvo. Needs differ in pregnancy and breastfeeding, which are not covered here.

No daily numberNo recommended amount or upper limit is set for monounsaturated fat9, so Ayuvo charts your intake without a reference line.
  • No recommended daily amount is set for this fat.
05 Balance

Too little, too much.

Signs like these have many possible causes. They are a reason to talk to a clinician, not to self-treat.

Too much

All fats contain 9 calories per gram, so eating too much fat, even healthy fat, can lead to weight gain1.

  • Extra calories add up quickly
  • Weight gain over time
  • Nuts are calorie-dense
06 Key points

Remember these five.

  1. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and start to harden when chilled.
  2. Olive, canola and peanut oils, avocados and nuts are rich sources.
  3. They can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol when they replace saturated or trans fats.
  4. Adding them to an unhealthy diet is not enough; replacing saturated fat is what counts.
  5. All fats carry 9 calories per gram, so keep portions in check.
FAQ

Questions about monounsaturated fat.

Is olive oil a monounsaturated fat?

Yes. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, as are canola oil, avocados and many nuts. USDA data show about 10 grams of monounsaturated fat in a tablespoon of olive oil.

What is the difference between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat?

Both are unsaturated, healthier fats that can help lower LDL cholesterol when they replace saturated fat. They are found in different foods: olive oil, avocados and nuts for monounsaturated fat, and walnuts, seeds, fish and corn or soybean oil for polyunsaturated fat.

Can I eat as much healthy fat as I want?

No. All fats have 9 calories per gram, so too much can lead to weight gain. The benefit comes from replacing saturated and trans fats, not from adding extra fat.

Get started

Track monounsaturated fat in Ayuvo.

Ayuvo charts monounsaturated fat by day, week, month and year, with the reference lines from this page, personalised by age and sex where they differ. Supplements you log in Medications count too. Free, with no account.

Coming soon to the App StoreComing soon to Google Play

Or read the code: Ayuvo is open source

Sources

Facts on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown. Intake numbers come from Ayuvo's shared reference table, which cites the sources marked for them.

  1. Facts about monounsaturated fats · MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) checked 2026-09-27
  2. Cut Down on Saturated Fats (Dietary Guidelines for Americans fact sheet) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion checked 2026-09-27
  3. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association (Circulation, 2017) · American Heart Association checked 2026-09-27
  4. WHO updates guidelines on fats and carbohydrates · World Health Organization checked 2026-09-27
  5. Microbial Interactions with Intestinal Lipid Digestion and Absorption: Emerging Targets for Metabolic Disorders (Research, 2025) · PubMed Central checked 2026-09-27
  6. Using the lymphatics to study nutrient absorption and the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones (Physiology & Behavior, 2011) · PubMed Central checked 2026-09-27
  7. FoodData Central, SR Legacy food composition data · U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service checked 2026-09-27
  8. The metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins revisited: new players, new insight (Atherosclerosis, 2010) · PubMed Central checked 2026-09-27
  9. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005) · National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine checked 2026-09-27

General information, not medical advice. This guide is for healthy adults and does not cover pregnancy, breastfeeding, children or medical conditions. It cannot diagnose or treat anything. Talk to a clinician before starting high-dose supplements, or if you think you may have too little or too much of a nutrient. Spotted an error? Email us.

More guides

Keep reading.

Saturated fatRaises LDL cholesterol; found in butter, cheese, meat and coconut oilPolyunsaturated fatOmega-3 and omega-6 fats from walnuts, seeds, fish and oilsTrans fatIndustrial vs natural trans fat and its effect on cholesterolCholesterolWaxy fat your body makes; found only in animal foodsOmega-3ALA from plants, EPA and DHA from fishVitamin AVision, immunity and growth; from retinol and beta-caroteneVitamin CCollagen, antioxidant defence and plant-iron absorption

All nutrient guides