Are Omega-6 Fats Bad for Inflammation?
Red Blood Cell Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Biomarkers of Inflammation in the Framingham Offspring Study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher arachidonic acid — a fat often called 'pro-inflammatory' because it makes inflammatory molecules — was linked to *lower* levels of interleukin-6 and adhesion molecules.
Arachidonic acid is routinely demonized in diet circles as a driver of pain, arthritis, and inflammation. Yet here, it’s associated with *less* inflammation in the blood.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t fear cooking with soybean, sunflower, or corn oil — this study suggests they’re not driving inflammation in older adults.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher arachidonic acid — a fat often called 'pro-inflammatory' because it makes inflammatory molecules — was linked to *lower* levels of interleukin-6 and adhesion molecules.
Arachidonic acid is routinely demonized in diet circles as a driver of pain, arthritis, and inflammation. Yet here, it’s associated with *less* inflammation in the blood.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t fear cooking with soybean, sunflower, or corn oil — this study suggests they’re not driving inflammation in older adults.
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2025
Authors
Heidi T. M. Lai, Nathan Ryder, N. Tintle, K. Jackson, P. Kris-Etherton, William S. Harris
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Having more omega-6 fats in your red blood cells might be linked to slightly lower inflammation, but the effect is so small it probably doesn’t make a big difference in your health.