An Assessment of Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intake in the United States

Abstract

The dietary intake of omega-6 relative to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has risen in the last century from 4:1 to 20:1, largely attributed to an increased intake of processed foods and the abundance of seed oils. The imbalance in the intake of omega-6 PUFA linoleic acid (LA) to omega-3 PUFA alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) may lead to a “hyperallergic” state in chronic inflammatory conditions. A lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs is widely considered to be beneficial because of the anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 PUFAs, and pro-inflammatory effects associated with higher intakes of LA; however, there is no consensus on what the exact ratio should be. The purpose of this study was to determine which foods are contributing the most to omega-6 PUFAs intake, and which foods are highest in omega-6 PUFAs in the United States. This study was a secondary analysis of NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic dietary data for 9,606 participants and a total of 122,533 individual foods consumed. The USDA’s 2021-2023 Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) was used to further subcategorize USDA food codes into What We Eat in America (WWEIA) categories. Foods classified as grain products and meat, poultry, fish, and mixtures contributed more than half of all omega-6 PUFAs intake in this national sample, although nuts and seeds are the individual subcategory that contribute the greatest amount of omega-6 PUFAs. The results of this analysis are consistent with prior studies for omega-6 PUFA food sources, primarily cereal and grain products were top contributing foods groups. Although causation may not be implied regarding the health risks from a high intake of omega-6 PUFAs, the results allow consumers to be more knowledgeable about top food sources consumed that contain omega-6 PUFAs and weigh the health risks and benefits of omega-6 PUFA dietary intake to current available research.