In older adults, eating more omega-6 fats like linoleic acid or having higher levels of arachidonic acid in the body doesn’t seem to increase signs of inflammation.

If older adults have more of a certain healthy fat (linoleic acid) in their blood cells, they tend to have lower levels of inflammation markers in their body.

Omega-6 fats in red blood cells don’t seem to be connected to signs of body stress or blood vessel inflammation in older adults.

Eating too much omega-6 fat—especially from vegetable oils and meat from grain-fed animals—might increase body-wide inflammation, which could lead to long-term health problems like heart disease or diabetes.

Eating certain types of healthy fats—like those found in nuts and seeds—doesn’t seem to change levels of inflammation in the blood of healthy American adults.

If older adults have more arachidonic acid in their red blood cells, they tend to have lower levels of certain inflammation markers in their blood — which suggests this omega-6 fat might not make inflammation worse after all.