Metabolic health

Oleic acid (C18:1n-9)

cis-9-octadecenoic acid

Included in Complete.

Olive oil's main fat, and one your body makes too.

Oleic acid is the main fat in olive oil and the most common monounsaturated fat in your body. Your result shows its share of all the fatty acids measured, shaped by what you eat and by your body's own production.

Diet explains only part of your level.

Your body makes oleic acid from stearic acid, using an enzyme that tends to become more active when you eat more carbohydrates. As a result, blood oleic acid tracks only loosely with how much olive oil or other oleic-rich food you eat.

Eating patterns rich in olive oil, like the Mediterranean diet, are linked with heart benefits, though olive oil carries other helpful compounds too. Research hasn't settled whether a higher oleic acid level itself is protective.

Questions

Is a higher oleic acid result better?

It isn't necessarily better. A higher level can reflect olive or canola oil in your diet, more of your body's own fat production, or both. It makes more sense next to the SCD-18 index, your saturated fats, and your triglycerides.

What does omega-9 mean?

Omega-9 means the first double bond sits nine carbons in from the tail end of the fat's carbon chain. Your body can make omega-9 fats itself, so unlike omega-3 and omega-6 fats, they aren't essential in the diet.

Sources and references