Omega-6 fatty acids

Omega-6/Nutrient Depletion:

  • CholesterolCholesterol: In animal research, omega-6 fatty acids (derived by incorporating omega-6 fatty acids into coconut triglycerides) decreased plasma and liver total and LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides vs. unchanged coconut oil (21). Based on epidemiological research on metabolism of fatty acids in coronary artery disease patients, the percentage of linoleic acid was positive correlated with HDL cholesterol and the ratio of HDL to total cholesterol, and negatively correlated with triglycerides and total cholesterol (119).
  • Omega-3 fatty acidsOmega-3 fatty acids: Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to reduce omega-6 status (blood, muscle) in human, animal, and in vitro research (138; 139; 130; 140; 141; 142; 143; 144; 145; 146; 147; 148; 149; 43; 150; 151; 152; 153; 154; 155; 156); however, when omega-6 was increased in addition to omega-3, omega-6 levels did not decrease, in human research (157). In human research, supplementation with 2g of eicosapentaenoic acid (omega-3) daily increased red cell membrane levels of arachidonic acid (omega-6) (161). This is not a common finding.