What are omega-6 fatty acids? Can eating omega-6 fatty acids cause heart disease?Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Show Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. When eaten in moderation and in place of saturated fats, omega-6 fatty acids can be good for the heart and appear to protect against heart disease. The body needs fatty acids (essential fatty acids) to work properly. It can make most of them. But the body can't make linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that includes omega-6 fatty acids. A balanced diet is the body's main source of omega-6 fatty acids. Fatty acids serve different functions in the body. Some are believed to cause inflammation, but others seem to have anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have failed to show an increased risk of heart disease linked to omega-6 fatty acids. In fact, research findings suggest that omega-6 fatty acids may actually reduce the risk for heart disease or stroke. Until more is known, you can help keep your heart healthy by limiting saturated fats in your diet and choosing plant-based foods such as flaxseed or canola oil. One way to increase the amount of omega-6s in your diet is to swap butter for olive oil when cooking. Or choose Brazil nuts or walnuts as snacks. They're also rich in omega-6 fatty acids. With Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Dec. 17, 2021
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. Which oil has most omegaSoybean oil is currently the biggest source of omega-6 fatty acids in the US because it is really cheap and found in all sorts of processed foods. In the graph below, you can see how the amount of omega-6 fatty acids found in body fat stores has increased by more than 200% (3-fold) in the past 50 years alone.
Is olive oil an omegaOlive Oil contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are important in preventing cardiovascular disease and are particularly high in oily fish such as salmon and flax seed oil.
What oil has the highest omegaOverall, canola oil has the most balanced fatty acid composition, not only due to a good omega-6:omega-3 ratio, but also because it contains a high percentage of monounsaturated fat which is beneficial to human health.
What is the best source of omegaFoods like nuts, seeds, eggs, and vegetable oils are all excellent sources of omega-6 fatty acids.
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