Omega-6 Fats & Inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are currently being touted as an aid to reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels and decreasing the risk of heart disease. Another type of unsaturated fat, Omega-6 fatty acid, hasn't had the positive publicity the omega-3 fatty acids have. Some information suggests that they cause inflammation in blood vessels that leads to heart disease, preventative medicine specialist Donald Hensrud, M.D. of MayoClinic.com explains, but this has not proven true. Omega-6 fatty acids play an essential part in your diet.

Definition

Omega-6 fatty acids are essential acids, meaning that your body can't manufacture them; they must come from the food you eat. Omega-6 fatty acids along with omega-3 fatty acids are known as polyunsaturated fats, sometimes shortened to PUFA. Foods high in omega-6 fatty acids include vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Meat, poultry and eggs contain small amounts of omega-6 fatty acids.

Purpose

Omega-6 fatty acids play an integral role in brain function as well as keeping cell membranes, bones, skin and hair healthy and your metabolism and reproductive systems functioning properly. Omega-6 fatty acid also synthesizes eicosanoids, chemical messengers important for immune and inflammatory responses. Eicosanoids derived from omega-3 fatty acids causes less inflammation, blood vessel narrowing and blood clotting than eicosanoids from omega-6 fatty acids, according to the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University.

Problems

The concerns over inflammation in your body stem from the fact that inflammation in blood vessel walls damages the interior and make it easier for plaque, formed from cholesterol and cellular debris, to build up on the blood vessel wall. Clots that can break off form in the blood vessels, the blood vessels become less pliable, and less blood flows through them to vital organs, including the heart.

Benefits

Not all omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation; some, in fact, decrease inflammation. Gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, made from vegetable oils or taken in supplements may convert to DGLA, which fights inflammation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC.

Concerns

Americans generally consume 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, The UMMC states. The UMMC points out that diets like the Mediterranean diet has a more balanced ration between the two and that it decreases heart disease. However, according to the American Heart Association, recommendations to decrease the amount of omega-6 fatty acids eaten to balance the ratios between omega-3 and omega-6 intake in order to reduce inflammation aren't justified. While increasing omega-3 fatty acids decreases the risk of heart disease, there's no evidence that decreasing omega-6 fatty acids will have the same effect.