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September 7, 2023

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

By Hannah Frye

Assistant Beauty & Health Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

Image by Cameron Whitman / Stocksy

September 7, 2023

We all have our breakfast of choice. Some prefer sweets in the morning; others go the savory route. Some are oatmeal fanatics; others are egg aficionados. Well, a new study just identified a breakfast tweak that could help all of us make our breakfasts just a little bit healthier—and it comes down to our choice of fat.

A recent study published in Nutrients found that women who ate a breakfast high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) from olive oil had a significant decrease in inflammation markers1 when compared to those who ate breakfasts made with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from margarin and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) from butter. 

To complete the study, researchers gathered 60 women in a controlled setting and modified their breakfast fat but kept their diet and lifestyle practices otherwise the same. This way, they could more confidently say that it was the fat influencing inflammation levels. 

While MUFAs made the biggest difference in inflammation, it’s worth noting that PUFAs seemed to decrease epidermal growth factor (EGF) 2levels—potentially supporting heart health. When it comes to breakfasts made with SFAs from butter, no inflammation or EGF changes were recorded.  

That’s not to say that butter and other SFAs are bad by any means, but they might not support a healthy inflammatory response as well as other fats.

These findings suggest that changing the type of fat eaten at breakfast may be a solid strategy for managing inflammation. “Based on the data obtained, it can be affirmed that the optimal fat choice at breakfast would be a high-MUFA fat, primarily attributable to the noted decrease in the synthesis of pro-inflammatory factors,” researchers said. 

But again, a high-PUFA breakfast may also be worth considering as the decrease in EGF values proves beneficial for mitigating the severity of cardiovascular diseases, researchers note.

Like any nutrition study, this one doesn’t provide hard-and-fast rules for breakfast menus. Instead, it suggests that incorporating MUFA and PUFA fats when possible is a positive step for reducing inflammation. 

• Olive oil
• Avocados
• Eggs
• Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
• Seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds

• Sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils
• Walnuts
• Flax seeds
• Fish