Metabolic health
Linoleic acid (C18:2n-6)
LA
Included in Complete.
Compare membershipsThe essential omega-6 fat from plant oils.
Linoleic acid is the main omega-6 fat in the diet (omega-6s are one family of polyunsaturated fats). Your body can't make it, so it comes from food, mainly vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Your result shows its share of all fatty acids measured.
Your level tends to follow what you eat.
Because the body can't make linoleic acid, blood levels tend to reflect usual intake. It's also the starting point for other omega-6 fats, including DGLA and arachidonic acid.
Omega-6 fats are sometimes described as harmful. In a pooled analysis of 30 studies, people with higher linoleic acid levels had a lower risk of cardiovascular events, and the American Heart Association has supported omega-6 fats as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Questions
What does a low linoleic acid result mean?
It usually reflects lower intake of plant oils, nuts, and seeds. Very low levels can be part of the pattern seen in essential fatty acid deficiency, which is uncommon and usually tied to very low-fat diets, poor fat absorption, or certain medical conditions.
Is a higher level always better?
It isn't always. Population studies show associations and can't prove that raising your level helps. Linoleic acid is also one part of your wider omega-6 and omega-3 balance, so a clinician will read it with those results.
Sources and references
- Marklund et al., Biomarkers of dietary omega-6 fatty acids and incident cardiovascular disease and mortality, pooled analysis of 30 cohorts (Circulation, 2019)
- American Heart Association, Omega-6 fatty acids and risk for cardiovascular disease, science advisory (Circulation, 2009)
- Hodson, Skeaff, and Fielding, Fatty acid composition of adipose tissue and blood in humans and its use as a biomarker of dietary intake (Prog Lipid Res, 2008)