Monounsaturated fatty acids appear to reduce blood levels of LDLs without affecting HDLs in any way. The NCEP recommend that intake of monounsaturated fats be kept between 10% and 15% of total caloric intake.
Trans-fatty acids or trans fats occur when polyunsaturated oils are altered through hydrogenation, a process used to harden liquid vegetable oils into solid foods like margarine and shortening. One recent study found that trans-monounsaturated fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol levels, behaving much like saturated fats (think fast food).
For now, it is clear that if your goal is to lower cholesterol, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are more desirable than saturated fats or products with trans-fatty acids. Your total calories from fat should not constitute more than 20% to 25% of daily calories.
This may seem overwhelming but it should make you wonder what kind of fat am I eating?
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