A type of unsaturated fat that is a component of most animal and vegetable fats, but in varying quantities. It is usually in liquid form at room temperature, but it may begin to solidify if it is chilled. Monounsaturated fat is the most desirable type of fat in the diet because it helps to decrease the LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood and helps to increase the HDL (good) cholesterol. Good sources of monounsaturated fat are olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and most nuts. Olive oil has the highest percentage (about 77%) of monounsaturated fat of any edible oil.
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