Foods high in fats good for the heart

Good fats for the heart are 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 to keep HDL (good) cholesterol high.

List of foods high 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
Skinless salmon, grilled	9.1 g	243 kcal
Sardines, preserved in oil	17.4 g	285 kcal
Pickled green olives	9.3 g	137 kcal
Extra virgin olive oil	85 g	884 kcal
Peanuts, roasted, salted	43.3 g	606 kcal
Chestnut of Pará, raw	48.4 g	643 kcal
Sesame seed	42.4 g	584 kcal
Flaxseed, seed	32.4 g	495 kcal

Other foods rich in these fats are: mackerel, vegetable oils such as canola, palm and soybean oil, sunflower and chia seeds, nuts, almonds and cashews. See how much cashew nut you should consume to improve health: How cashew nut can improve health.

Foods high in unsaturated fats

For the best effect of its benefits, good fats must be present in the diet replacing bad fats, which are saturated and trans fats. To find out 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, Promote 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 still fat and high in calories. Therefore, even good fats should be consumed in moderation, especially if the person has high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes or being overweight.