While perusing the supplement aisle at your local natural foods retailer, you may find yourself faced with a bewildering array of capsules, powders and potions whose purpose remains mysteriously unclear. If you've ever picked up a bottle of omega-6 fatty acids and wondered whether you need to add them to your supplement regimen, the most likely answer is no.
Omega Fatty Acids
Three different types of omega fatty acid are commonly found on the shelves of supplement retailers: omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9. Often all three are present in the same supplement. Decoding the differences in these omegas comes down to chemistry --- the numbers that complete their names refer to the placement of the first carbon-carbon double bond in their molecular structure, according to Sabrina Candelaria of the University of Miami Health System. Each type of fatty acid has a different purpose. Your body uses omega-6 in maintaining your skin, hair, bones, metabolism and reproductive system.
Essential vs. Non essential
Both omega-3 and omega-6 are essential fatty acids, meaning that your body cannot create them on its own. You have to consume them in your diet to ensure you have enough to supply the vital functions that these nutrients support. Omega-9, on the other hand is non-essential. Your body can manufacture it on its own, thus there's no need for you to consume it in supplement form.
Dietary Omega-6
Omega-6 is present in vegetable oils such as peanut, soybean and safflower oil and in meat, eggs and dairy products. Omega-6 is so ubiquitous in the average American diet that it's far more often consumed than another omega fatty acid, omega-3. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the typical American consumes up to 25 times more omega-6 than omega-3. This dietary imbalance leads to increased inflammation in the body, whereas Mediterranean diets that have a higher ratio of omega-3s are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disorders.
Omega-6 Supplements
The University of Maryland Medical Center says that you probably don't need to take omega-6 supplements to ensure that you're consuming enough. Your diet should be supplying you with more than enough to meet your essential needs. If you are interested in taking additional omega-6 in supplement form as a way of addressing a specific condition, consult your doctor first.
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