What are omega-6 fatty acids? Can eating omega-6 fatty acids cause heart disease?

Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.

Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of fat called polyunsaturated fat. Omega-6 fatty acids are in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. They're good to eat in small amounts in place of the fats that are solid at room temperature, call saturated fats. Omega-6 fatty acids can be good for the heart and seem to protect against heart disease.

The body needs fatty acids, called essential fatty acids. It can make most of the fatty acids it needs. But the body can't make linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that includes omega-6 fatty acids. A healthy diet is the body's main source of omega-6 fatty acids.

Fatty acids have different effects on the body. Some are believed to cause swelling and irritation, called inflammation. But others seem to fight swelling and irritation, called anti-inflammatory. Studies have not shown an increased risk of heart disease linked to omega-6 fatty acids. In fact, research findings suggest that omega-6 fatty acids might reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.

Until more is known, you can help keep your heart healthy by limiting saturated fats in your diet. Choose plant-based oils such as flaxseed oil or canola oil. One way to increase the amount of omega-6s in your diet is to use olive oil instead of butter 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.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

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.

June 13, 2023 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Angina
  2. Atkins Diet
  3. Automated external defibrillators: Do you need an AED?
  4. Blood Basics
  5. Blood tests for heart disease
  6. Bradycardia
  7. Transplant advances
  8. Butter vs. margarine
  9. Calcium supplements: A risk factor for heart attack?
  10. Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack?
  11. Cardiac ablation
  12. Cardiac amyloidosis — Treatment options
  13. Cardiac amyloidosis — What is amyloid and how does it affect the heart
  14. Cardiac catheterization
  15. Cardioversion
  16. Chelation therapy for heart disease: Does it work?
  17. Chest X-rays
  18. Complete blood count (CBC)
  19. Coronary angiogram
  20. Coronary angioplasty and stents
  21. Coronary artery bypass surgery
  22. Coronary artery spasm: Cause for concern?
  23. Cough
  24. CT scan
  25. Daily aspirin therapy
  26. Dizziness
  27. Don't get tricked by these 3 heart-health myths
  28. Echocardiogram
  29. Ejection fraction: What does it measure?
  30. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  31. Heart transplant to treat dilated cardiomyopathy: Elmo's story
  32. Erectile dysfunction: A sign of heart disease?
  33. Exercise and chronic disease
  34. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?
  35. Fatigue
  36. Flu Shot Prevents Heart Attack
  37. Flu shots and heart disease
  38. Grass-fed beef
  39. Healthy Heart for Life!
  40. Heart arrhythmia
  41. Heart attack
  42. Heart attack prevention: Should I avoid secondhand smoke?
  43. Heart attack symptoms
  44. Heart Attack Timing
  45. Heart disease
  46. Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
  47. Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
  48. Heart murmurs
  49. Heart transplant
  50. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  51. Holter monitor
  52. Honey: An effective cough remedy?
  53. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs)
  54. Leg swelling
  55. Mediterranean diet
  56. Menus for heart-healthy eating
  57. NSAIDs: Do they increase my risk of heart attack and stroke?
  58. Nuclear stress test
  59. Numbness
  60. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  61. Omega-3 in fish
  62. Organ transplant in highly sensitized patients
  63. Pacemaker
  64. Pericardial effusion
  65. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  66. Pseudoaneurysm: What causes it?
  67. Pulmonary edema
  68. Red wine, antioxidants and resveratrol
  69. Shortness of breath
  70. Silent heart attack
  71. Sitting risks: How harmful is too much sitting?
  72. Statins
  73. Heart disease prevention
  74. Stress symptoms
  75. Stress test
  76. Tachycardia
  77. The Last Brother's Heart
  78. Integrative approaches to treating pain
  79. Nutrition and pain
  80. Pain rehabilitation
  81. Self-care approaches to treating pain
  82. Trans fat
  83. Triathlete transplant
  84. Coronary angioplasty
  85. Video: Heart and circulatory system