Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Beauty & Health Editor
Beauty & Health Editor
Hannah Frye is the Beauty & Health 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 beauty, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously worked for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
Image by Cameron Whitman / Stocksy
August 30, 2024
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 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.
Switching up breakfast fats can decrease inflammation
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.
What does this mean for me?
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.
Healthy foods to add to your breakfast
Foods high in MUFAs
- Olive oil
- Avocados
- Eggs
- Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans
- Seeds such as pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
Foods high in PUFAs
- Sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils
- Walnuts
- Flaxseeds
- Fish
Ready to whip up some avocado toast or add some nuts and seeds to your oatmeal? The healthy switch may prove easier (and tastier) than you thought.
The takeaway
A study found that women who ate a breakfast high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) from olive oil had a significant decrease in inflammation markers when compared to other forms of fat.