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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. What foods are high in omegaAvoid Vegetable Oils High In Omega-6
Avoid all that have a high proportion of omega-6 (blue bars). You can see that butter, coconut oil, lard, palm oil and olive oil are all relatively low in omega-6. In contrast, sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed oils contain the highest amounts.
Do eggs have a lot of omegaOne large egg has about 1.8 grams of omega-6s — but this content is concentrated in its yolk, not the whites. While the yolk is high in cholesterol, research shows it has little effect on your blood cholesterol levels.
Is Avocado rich in omegaAvocado oil has a high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (13:1), and we usually want around 3:1 or 2:1 for better health. But this shouldn't be a concern, because the total amount of omega-6 is relatively small.
What omegaExcess consumption of omega-6s can trigger the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals. These fatty acids are found in oils such corn, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, soy, peanut, and vegetable; mayonnaise; and many salad dressings.
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