By NICHOLAS BAKALARMARCH 22, 2018
Are omega-6 fatty acids, the fats found in nuts, seeds and many vegetable oils, including those used in many processed and junk foods, helpful or harmful?
It has been believed that omega-6s generally increase inflammation, while omega-3s, the fats in fish oil, lower it, and some studies suggest that a high omega-6 intake increases the risk for heart disease. But a new long-term study suggests omega-6s can be good for the heart.
Finnish researchers studied 2,480 men aged 42 to 60, following them for an average of 22 years.
The study, in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that compared with men in the lowest one-fifth for blood levels of omega-6, those in the highest fifth had a 43 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 46 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death. The study controlled for smoking, hypertension, family history of heart disease and many other factors.
“This is not a license to eat junk or processed food,” said the lead author, Jyrki K. Virtanen, an adjunct professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Eastern Finland. “Even though they contain omega-6, they are full of sugar and other things that are not good for you. But there is no need to fear omega-6 in vegetables, nuts and seeds. It clearly has benefits for heart disease prevention.”
