What are the health benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Whereas saturated fats and trans fats are implicated in chronic diseases, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats seem to offer health benefits. For this reason, dietary recommendations suggest replacing sources of saturated fats and trans fats with foods rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—foods such as seafood, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.
Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats reduces LDL cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart disease and related deaths. To replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats, sauté foods in olive oil instead of butter, garnish salads with sunflower seeds instead of bacon, snack on mixed nuts instead of potato chips, use avocado instead of cheese on a sandwich, and eat salmon instead of steak.
Research on the different types of fats has spotlighted the many beneficial effects of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent blood clots, protect against irregular heartbeats, improve blood lipids, and lower blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension or atherosclerosis. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids lower the incidence of heart disease-related deaths, support a healthy immune system, and suppress inflammation.
The omega-3 fatty acids of fatty fish may protect against some cancers as well, perhaps by suppressing inflammation. Even when omega-3 fats do not protect against cancer development, there seems to be a significant reduction in cancer-related deaths. Thus, dietary advice to reduce cancer risks parallels that given to reduce heart disease risks: Reduce saturated fats and increase omega-3 fatty acids. Evidence does not support omega-3 supplementation.
Limited research suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids of fish may protect against asthma, pancreatitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fats also appear to play a role in improving memory and cognition.