Omega-6 fatty acids food sources

Seafood consumption is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that have a wide range of beneficial effects for human health (Sidhu, 2003). However, among food... 

You may hear about getting omega-3s from plant sources, especially flaxseed and flaxseed oil but also from soybeans, canola and walnut oils, and various kinds of nuts. All of those foods contain a far less potent form of the beneficial fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). You may even see ALA supplements on sale in health food stores and pharmacies, but only a fraction, a small fraction, of ALA is converted by the body into EPA and DHA. Stick with the fish oils or the concentrated ethyl ester supplements. 

EFA supplements can come as gel capsules or in liquid form. Even the experts don t agree on the optimum ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3s, but look for a ratio between 4 1 and 1 1, and always check for freshness. The supplements should be refrigerated, and the omega-3s last for only about six months, so if they look like they ve been collecting dust on the shelves of your health food store, you might be better off with another product. Liquid supplements should not smell rancid or fishy, even if they are from a fish source. 

Omega-3 PUFAs are essential unsaturated fatty acids obtained from food sources or from supplements. Amongst nutritionally important polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids, a-linolcnic acid (ALA), eicosapentae-noic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are highly concentrated in the brain and have antioxidative stress, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. The exposure to n-3 fatty acids enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis associated with cognitive and behavioral processes, promotes synaptic plasticity by increasing longterm potentiation, and modulates synaptic protein expression to stimulate the dendritic arborization and new spine formation [496]. 

In addition, THC-containing foods, i.e., hemp oil, beer, and other products, are commercially available for oral consumption. Hemp oil is produced from cannabis seed and is an excellent source of essential amino acids and omega-linoleic and linolenic fatty acids. THC content is dependent upon the effectiveness of cannabis seed cleaning and oil filtration processes. Hemp oil of greater than 300 pg THC/g was available in the U.S. and up to 1,500 pg THC/g in Europe. Currently, hemp oil THC concentrations in the U.S. are low, reflecting the efforts of manufacturers to reduce the amount of THC in hemp oil products. 

National Agricultural Statistics Services, August 19,2003 Nawar, W. W. "Cranberry Seed Oil. A New Source of Tocotrienols, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and other Bioactive Compounds", International Conference and Exhibition on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, September 13-17, Houston, TX, 2000. 

Uauy-Dagach, R. and Valenzuela, A. (1992) Marine oils as a source of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet how to optimize the health benefits. Prog. Food Nutr. Sci. 16, 199-243. 

Omega-3 (also referred to as co-3 or n-3) fatty acids are a family of compounds, widely distributed in animal tissues and plants, which should be used in functional foods since they play a critical role in human health. The main n-3 fatty acids in food sources are a-linolenic acid (ALA 18 3n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA 22 6n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA 20 5n-3) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA 22 5n-3). 

Some of the most common food sources of omega-9 fatty acids are listed below, in the order of omega-9 fatty acid content ... 

Table 5.2 lists some of the manufactured food products as the sources of omega-9 fatty acid, based on the percentage of their contribution to the intake of oleic acid. The data are taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006. 

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