Good fats for the heart are the unsaturated fats found in salmon, avocado or flaxseed, for example. These fats are divided into two types, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, and are generally liquid at room temperature.
Unsaturated fats are considered good because in addition to lowering total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, they also help keep HDL (good) cholesterol high.
List of foods rich in unsaturated fat
See the table below for the amount of good fats present in 100 g of some foods.
| Food | Unsaturated Fat | Calories |
| Avocado | 5.7 g | 96 kcal |
| Tuna, preserved in oil | 4.5 g | 166 kcal |
| Salmon skinned, grilled | 9.1 g | 243 kcal |
| Sardine, preserved in oil | 17.4 g | 285 kcal |
| Canned green olives | 9.3 g | 137 kcal |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 85 g | 884 kcal |
| Peanuts, roasted, salted | 43.3 g | 606 kcal |
| Chestnuts from Pará, raw | 48.4 g | 643 kcal |
| Sesame Seed | 42.4 g | 584 kcal |
| Flax seed | 32.4 g | 495 kcal |
Other foods rich in these fats are: mackerel, vegetable oils such as canola, palm and soybean oil, sunflower seed and chia, walnuts, almonds and cashew nuts. Here's how much cashew nut you should consume to improve your health: How cashew nuts can improve health.
For a better effect of their benefits, good fats must be present in the diet replacing the bad fats, which are saturated and trans fats. To know what foods the bad fats are in, read: foods high in saturated fat and foods high in trans fat.
Other properties of good fats are:
- Improve blood circulation,
- Favor the relaxation of blood vessels, helping to reduce blood pressure;
- Act as an antioxidant in the body;
- Improve memory;
- Strengthen the immune system;
- Prevent heart disease.
Although unsaturated fats are good for the heart, they are fat and high in calories. Hence, even good fats should be consumed in moderation, especially if the person has high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes or being overweight.
