{"id":44055,"date":"2019-12-30T05:54:47","date_gmt":"2019-12-30T13:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/?p=44055"},"modified":"2021-09-20T09:19:22","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T16:19:22","slug":"oleic-acid-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/blog\/oleic-acid-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Health Benefits of Oleic Acid + Safety & Food Sources"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oleic acid is a major component of olive oil greatly responsible for its beneficial effects on heart health, metabolism, mental health, and more. Besides olive oil, some other oils and fat sources also contain significant amounts of this monounsaturated fatty acid. Keep reading to learn about the benefits, food sources, and safety of oleic acid.<\/p>\n

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What Is Oleic Acid?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Oleic acid is a non-essential fatty acid, which means it is produced naturally by the human body [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

It is the primary member of the omega-9 class of monounsaturated fatty acids<\/a> (MUFAs). Oleic acid accounts for 92% of cis<\/em>-isomer monounsaturated fats in the human diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Monounsaturated fats have only one double bond and are defined by the number of carbons in their omega side chain. Oleic acid is sometimes abbreviated as (C18:1), referring to its carbon structure [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Most naturally occurring monounsaturated fats are of the cis<\/em>-isomer conformation, referring to the orientation of the double bond. Artificially produced trans<\/em>-isomers are associated with negative health outcomes [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

This article focuses on the cis<\/em> oleic acid isomer.<\/p>\n

Olive oil<\/a> is the largest dietary contributor to human intake of omega-9 monounsaturated fats. Other good sources of oleic acid are in the following table [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Fat Source<\/strong><\/td>\nOleic Acid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Olive oil<\/td>\n66.4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rapeseed oil<\/td>\n63.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Almond oil<\/a><\/td>\n67.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Peanut oil<\/td>\n71.1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rice bran oil<\/td>\n42.7%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sesame oil<\/td>\n41.5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sunflower oil<\/td>\n28.0%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Oleic Acid in Olive Oil and the Mediterranean Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Olive oil is an important component of the Mediterranean diet [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

In Mediterranean countries, olive oil is the main source of dietary monounsaturated fats. This is compared to the US and northern European countries where meat and dairy products (20 to 40% monounsaturated fats on average) are more common dietary sources, and also include higher levels of saturated fats [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a variety of health benefits, including improved heart health, lower blood pressure, lower rates of obesity, and lower incidence of type 2 diabetes [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Oleic acid is responsible for some of the health benefits of this diet, but other potentially beneficial compounds in olive oil (squalene<\/a>, antioxidant phenolic alcohols, polyphenols, and vitamin E<\/a>) also contribute to these benefits [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Mechanism of Action<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Oleic acid plays an active role in many body processes by changing cell membrane composition and altering which receptors are present on the membrane as a result.<\/p>\n

By changing receptor presence at the cellular membrane, oleic acid has the following effects. It:<\/p>\n