Are Omega-6 Fats Really Inflammatory? New Study Says No

The findings were clear: higher levels of linoleic acid were significantly associated with lower levels of five biomarkers of inflammation. Similarly, higher arachidonic acid levels correlated with reduced levels of four markers. Importantly, neither fatty acid was linked to any increases in inflammatory or oxidative stress markers.

“These new data show clearly that people who have the highest levels of linoleic acid and arachidonic acid in their blood are in a less inflammatory state than people with lower levels,” said study investigator William S. Harris, PhD. “This finding is exactly the opposite of what one would expect if omega-6 fatty acids were ‘proinflammatory’ – in fact, they appear to be anti-inflammatory.”

The study concludes that the negative perception of omega-6 fats lacks scientific basis and that increasing, rather than reducing, their intake could support better inflammatory health.

Reference: Lai, H. T. M., Ryder, N. A., Tintle, N. L., Jackson, K. H., Kris-Etherton, P. M., & Harris, W. S. (2025). Red Blood Cell Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Biomarkers of Inflammation in the Framingham Offspring Study. Nutrients, 17(13), 2076. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17132076