Metabolic health
Arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6)
AA, ARA
Included in Complete.
Compare membershipsYour body keeps this omega-6 fat fairly steady.
Arachidonic acid is a long-chain omega-6 fat (omega-6s are one family of polyunsaturated fats) found in cell membranes throughout your body. Your body makes it from linoleic acid, and some comes directly from meat, eggs, and other animal foods.
Eating more omega-6 doesn't simply raise it.
In a controlled diet study, eating more linoleic acid didn't change blood arachidonic acid, and levels varied widely between people in ways their diets didn't explain. Common differences in the genes for fat-converting enzymes also play a role.
Arachidonic acid is the starting material for signalling molecules involved in inflammation. Even so, in a pooled analysis of 30 studies, higher levels weren't linked with more cardiovascular disease.
Questions
Is a high arachidonic acid result a problem?
A high result isn't a problem on its own. Arachidonic acid is a normal, needed part of your cells. It's most useful read with your EPA result and the AA/EPA ratio, which compares it with an omega-3 fat.
Why is arachidonic acid called pro-inflammatory?
Many of the signalling molecules made from it help switch on inflammation, which is a normal part of healing and defence. Having arachidonic acid in your blood doesn't by itself mean you have harmful inflammation.
Sources and references
- Liou and Innis, Dietary linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and eicosadienoic acid in plasma of adult men (Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, 2009)
- Marklund et al., Biomarkers of dietary omega-6 fatty acids and incident cardiovascular disease and mortality, pooled analysis of 30 cohorts (Circulation, 2019)
- Sergeant, Rahbar, and Chilton, Gamma-linolenic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, eicosanoids, and inflammatory processes (Eur J Pharmacol, 2016)