Unsaturated Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Posted by Dora West on October 26th, 2021

What are unsaturated fatty acids?

Unsaturated fatty acids are a type of fatty acids that make up body fat and are indispensable to the human body.

Unsaturated fatty acids are divided into monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, depending on the number of double bonds. In food fat, monounsaturated fatty acids include oleic acid and other fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids include linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which cannot be synthesized by the human body and must be supplemented from the diet, so they are also called essential fatty acids.

Unsaturated fatty acids are further classified into ω-6 series and ω-3 series according to the position and function of double bonds. Polyunsaturated fats are not only liquid at room temperature, but also remain liquid when refrigerated or frozen. In contrast, monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, are liquid at room temperature but hardened when refrigerated.

The polyunsaturated fatty acid content is an important basis for evaluating the nutritional level of edible oils. Soybean oil, corn oil and sunflower oil have high levels of the ω-6 family of unsaturated fatty acids. And ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids are only found in fish oil, fish seed oil, flax oil and perilla oil, of which fish seed oil has the best composition and content.

Omega-3

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that the human body cannot synthesize by itself, so it is also called \"essential fatty acid.\" There are many types of omega-3 depending on their chemical structure. The most common ones are the following three:

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid): The main effect is to clean up cholesterol and triglycerides in blood vessels, as well as to resist inflammation and depression, and to regulate mood.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid): Contributes to the normal development of the brain.

ALA (linolenic acid): It can be converted into EPA and DHA in the body, but the conversion efficiency is not high. ALA can reduce triglycerides on an empty stomach and after meals, reduce thrombosis, smooth blood flow, and improve high blood pressure.

The best food source of Omega-3 is deep-sea fish, such as salmon, tuna, etc. The main ingredients of our common dietary supplements fish oil are omega-3, such as EPA and DHA, with very limited content of other fat-soluble vitamins in it. The omega-3 fatty acid content of cod liver oil is relatively low, but it is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D. WHO recommends that the daily intake of omega-3 should be 1-2% of the total energy intake, and at least two servings of deep-sea fish should be consumed each week.

Omega-6

Omega-6 also needs to be obtained from the daily diet. Excess omega-6 fatty acids can interfere with the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids because they compete for the same rate-limiting enzymes. An excessive omega-6:omega-3 ratio shifts the physiological state of tissues towards the pathogenesis of many diseases, such as blood clots, inflammation, etc.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a type of omega-6, is beneficial in anti-cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevention, and weight management. For athletes, it significantly increases the body\'s cardiac and skeletal muscle myoglobin levels and improves the ability of the body\'s cells to store and transport oxygen.

The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is very important. The prostaglandins in our body are synthesized with ω-3 and ω-6. The two synthesize different prostaglandins that need to compete for the same metabolic enzymes to do so, but produce functionally different products. The substances synthesized by omega-6 promote inflammation. In contrast, the functions of prostaglandins synthesized by omega-3 are the opposite of omega-6, relieving and suppressing inflammation, thus preventing major diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid. Therefore, it is very important to balance the ratio between the two fatty acids.

The best ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is 1:4 to 6. Some studies suggest that exceeding a certain level of this ratio may increase the chance of developing some common diseases. The WHO recommends that the daily intake of omega-6 should account for 5-8% of the total energy intake.

The use of reliable instrumental analysis can accurately achieve the detection of unsaturated fatty acid composition and content in health products or foods, which can help to rationalize the diet and select suitable products or foods. In addition, unsaturated fatty acids are also related to some diseases and drug treatments, which require high-precision instruments to detect unsaturated fatty acid levels in biological samples.

Recently, Creative Proteomics has established a dedicated lipidomics analysis team that can provide accurate fatty acid composition and content testing services to food manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and scientific users. Equipped with industry-leading instruments and using cutting-edge analytical methods, Creative Proteomics provides high-quality lipid analysis services to its customers. Operating in all 50 countries and cities, it aims to provide its partners with reliable analytical data.