Unsaturated fats include which types and what is their effect on LDL cholesterol?

• A. Saturated fats.
• B. Trans fats.
• C. All fats.
• D. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats; they can lower LDL cholesterol.

Answer: (D)

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the unsaturated fats. They are found in foods like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish. When you replace saturated fats with these fats in the diet, LDL cholesterol tends to go down. That lowering happens because these fats positively influence how the liver handles cholesterol, leading to lower circulating LDL. Trans fats—though unsaturated in structure—behave like saturated fats and raise LDL (and often lower HDL), so they don’t have the same beneficial effect. The idea that all fats lower LDL is incorrect, since fats differ in their impact on cholesterol.