The fabulous fats. Stanford researchers find how MUFA-rich oils can promote longevity

Less than a few weeks ago, on May 1st, 2023, researchers from Stanford University published a study that revealed how MUFA-rich oils can increase lifespan. Most fats will likely cause detrimental effects on your health like raising your cholesterol, contributing to cardiovascular diseases, obesity and shortening your life in general. But some fats are much healthier, like omega-3s and MUFAs, which have been associated with an increased lifespan.

Some foods rich in MUFAs:

• Extra virgin and regular olive oil
• Avocado oil
• Macadamia nuts
• Hazelnuts

How MUFAs can promote longevity

Okay, so if you eat more of these fats it will help you live longer? Likely yes. But how does it all work? Here is the idea the researchers propose:

Imagine a balloon. If you want it to last longer, you have to make sure the rubber is nice and strong. The same is true for your cells. If you want to live longer, you have to maintain the integrity (strength) of your cell membranes. Your cell membranes are not made of rubber, they’re made of lipids (fats). And those fats can be damaged. But MUFAs are quite resistant fats so they increase the resilience of your cell membranes.

What’s exciting about this? Breakthroughs in science can take many decades. It’s a slow, and often unexciting process. But what’s exciting about it is that you can witness the build-up to these breakthroughs! The more we know about these underlying MUFA-longevity mechanisms, the closer we are to developing extra-efficient longevity treatments. The treatments that may one day prolong lives. Perhaps even by decades.

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