The Great Omega: Omega-6 Fatty Acid

Everything you need to know about the Omega-6 Fatty Acid

What am I?

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A PUFA! A PolyUnsaturated Fatty Acid. This means that it is composed of carbon chains that have a common final double bond between Carbons in the n-6 position (the 6th bond fromm the methyl end)

Where am I?

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Examples are linolenic acid and arachidonic acid (which is derived from linoleic acid).

Linolenic acid is most common in our diet and is found in vegetable oils (corn, evening primose seed, safflower, and soybean oils)

Why Omega-6 Fatty Acids?

Via umm.edu

This is an essential fatty acid, meaning that the body cannot synthesize it itself.

It is very important to the human body as it plays a role in normal growth and development, skin and hair growth, maintaining bone health, regulating metabolism, maintaining the reproductive system, and lots more.

What they can do for you!

circ.ahajournals.org ncbi.nlm.nih.gov lpi.oregonstate.edu

The American Heart Association has conducted studies and concluded that with higher intakes of Omega-6 the may lower the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). There are have been many studies (case studies, lab studies, animal studies) about this PUFA but there is a lot of speculation about how Omega-6 fatty acid can positively be useful for the human body. Chronic diseases, such as CHD, are multigenic and multifactual. Omega-3 fatty acid partners with Omega-6 and, arguably, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 shows importance to our health. A lower ratio of this is more desirable and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and inflammatory diseases (shown in some studies). There are many factors that contribute to such chronic diseases that the studies cannot be completely reliable.

Dietary Reference Intakes

These are the adequate intakes for linolenic acid (the most commonly consumed Omega-6 fatty acid). Not enough evidence and scientific research has been established for Estimated Average Requirements (EAR).