Food Sources Of Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are essential nutritional components, meaning that while the body requires them, it can't make them--they have to be ingested. The typical American diet incorporates many excellent sources of omega-6 fatty acids as a matter of course--it's quite rare for anyone to need to supplement with these fats, and in fact, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes that most Americans get too much omega-6 fatty acid as compared to other beneficial fats. There are many food sources of omega-6 fatty acids.

Grains

Cereal grains, including wheat, contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. In general, however, because the fatty acid molecules are contained in the oil from grain, only products that have been made with whole grain contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids from cereal sources. White bread and other products made with refined flour use only the starch from cereals--the protein and fat contained in the germ, or growing portion, of the grain is discarded and isn't included in the flour. Whole-grain baked goods and cereals, however, contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Vegetable Oil

Many vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fatty acids, and particularly in polyunsaturated fatty acids. This, explain Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book "Biochemistry," is because unsaturated fatty acids have lower melting points than saturated fatty acids, making them oils at much lower temperatures than the temperatures at which saturated acids--animal fats--are liquid. Plants tend to have much more liquid fats than do animals, and as a result, their oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-6 fatty acids. Most plant oils are good sources of omega-6 fats, including corn oil, soybean oil and canola oil.

Flax and Flax Oil

While flaxseed is commonly associated with another essential dietary fat--specifically, omega-3 fatty acids--actually, it's a better source of omega-6 fatty acids than it is of omega-3. This is because the omega 6 fatty acids in flax are bioavailable, meaning that the body can use them easily. Of the omega-3 fatty acids in flax, most are of a type that isn't very bioavailable, explain Drs. Garrett and Grisham. In fact, the body can only use about 1 percent of the omega-3 fatty acids in flax. As such, flax is actually a much more omega-6 fatty acid-rich food than it is an omega-3 fatty acid-rich food.