Monounsaturates in the diet

Monounsaturates (MUFA) are not essential components of the diet as the body can synthesise all it needs to function properly. However, they are present in many foods, such as meat, dairy products and nuts, and contribute to approximately 15% of the total fatty acids in the UK diet. The most common MUFA is oleic acid, which accounts for 92% of dietary MUFA; 60-80% of this is derived from olive oil. There are no formal recommendations for MUFAs in the diet in the UK. However, a population average of 13% arises by difference when recommendations for saturates (SFA) and polyunsaturates are taken into account. Average population total fat intakes in the UK are around the recommended 35% of food energy; however, currently intake of SFAs is a little higher than recommended. Scope to address this problem exists by way of a shift from food sources of SFAs to those higher in MUFAs. Detecting associations between diet and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer is not an easy task. However, there is accumulating evidence suggestive of a protective effect of a Mediterranean-style diet (i.e. a diet low in SFAs and rich in MUFAs) against coronary heart disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. The Mediterranean diet is a complex dietary exposure and intakes of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains are also higher. However, further investigation has identified MUFAs as having independent health benefits, protecting against coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer as well as favourably affecting a number of risk factors for these diseases including hypertension, insulin sensitivity, plasma lipoprotein concentrations and factors related to blood clotting. To address the current imbalance of fatty acids in the UK diet, sources of SFAs could be replaced by foods containing MUFAs. This will have a twofold benefit in chronic disease outcomes, reducing cardiovascular disease risk by replacing dietary SFAs, as well as affording a degree of protection against other diseases. The extent of dietary change required is not actually that great; the substitution of 12 g of SFA with 12 g of MUFA (possible by a modest, albeit significant change in dietary patterns) in a 2200 kcal diet will increase MUFA from 14% to 19% of energy (SFA will decrease from 13% to 8%). One approach to achieve an improvement in the fatty acid profile of the diet is to alter the nutrient composition of foods that are commonly consumed so that they are 'healthier'. This way, people do not have to make radical changes to their lives and they can continue eating the foods that they are used to. Such approaches include the use of oils with a high oleic acid content. These have been produced by conventional breeding methods and can be easily used in the food-manufacturing industry.