ArcaMax

Your body has a burning desire for EVOO and other oils with a lot of monounsaturated oleic fatty acid, such as canola and sunflower oil. (Salmon, avocados and nuts also deliver a good dose). That's the conclusion of a new study that looked at which fats your body chooses to burn for energy and which get stored as fat deposits.

Published in the journal BBA Advances, the study explains that monounsaturated fats take less oxygen to burn and produce the most energy to fuel your body's metabolic needs. And it appears that your body is able to sense that it will take less oxygen for your cells to turn those monounsaturated fats into fuel -- and it instructs your cells burn those fats first.

In contrast, saturated fats' atoms are much harder to pry apart and your body uses up a lot more oxygen when it tries to turn them into fuel. As a result, your body doesn't burn them unless absolutely necessary. Instead, it stores them as adipose (fat) tissue, where they fuel heart- and brain-damaging inflammation.

So, to help your body shed excess fat stores -- especially around your belly -- make sure your diet provides a good supply of these monounsaturated fats that efficiently fuel all your body systems. And avoid foods packed with saturated fats, like red and processed meats, full-fat dairy, highly processed foods and palm oil. For more info on smart nutrition and recipes, check out my books "What to Eat When" and "The What to Eat When Cookbook."

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.

(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.