What Is Oleic Acid (18:1) & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Oleic acid, 18:1, is classified as a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid that is abundant in human tissue.

Oleic acid in foods is primarily derived from plant sources, especially oils from seeds and fruits.

Oleic acid is a widely used acid as an emulsifier for foods.

Oleic Acid Is An Omega-9 Fatty Acid

Oleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid and an omega-9. Omega-9 is not essential, meaning that our body can produce it by itself.

It is a colorless to pale yellow liquid with a mild odor. (source ◳)

Triglyceride esters of oleic acid comprise the majority of olive oil.

It's also the major fatty acid in human milk. (source ◳)

Benefit Of Oleic Acid

Oleic acid is considered to be highly stable to oxidation and therefore can enhance the activity of antioxidants. (source ◳)

You can read about other benefits that oleic acid has in Oleic Acid (18:1): 3 Research-Backed Benefits .

Foods You Can Find Oleic Acid In

You find oleic acid mostly in fats and oil products.

Examples of food sources include

• Sunflower Oil
• Hazelnut Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Soybean Shortening
• Canola Oil
• Olive Oil
• Almond Oil

Foods in our nutrition tool

You can find regularly updated top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most oleic acid, we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Oleic Acid (18:1).