11 Health Benefits of Omega-6 Fatty Acid

Omega-6 Fatty Acid health benefits include reducing cholesterol, fighting diabetes, maintaining bone health, stimulating hair growth, supporting reproductive system, reducing nerve pain, relieving PMS symptoms, regulating metabolism, supporting brain function, and promoting growth

What Are Fats?

Fats are made up of triglycerides. Fat molecules all are composed of carbons and hydrogen. Their composition controls the state of the molecules, in other words it determines if fat is solid or liquid, and if it is good or bad for you. Saturated fats have single bonds between their atoms. However, if the molecule chain has one or more bonds, it is referred to as unsaturated fat. Generally speaking unsaturated fats are mostly good for your health while excess of saturated fats may become harmful.

Types of Fats

There are four major types of fats. The two general types are saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are further divided into monosaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.  These have been divided based on their chemical structure. Most things that we eat have fat in them. Some fats are good for us while others are bad.

Sometimes it is not even about the amount of fat that we are ingesting but the type of fats. Both olive oil and a pancake mix have fats in them. Olive oil is one hundred percent fat, while pancake mix is only eleven percent fat. The fact is olive oil is good for you while the fat in pancake mix is unhealthy.

Types of Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats can be arranged differently. This arrangement determines whether they are trans fats. Moreover, they can be told apart based on how the double bond adjusts carbon and hydrogen atoms. In Cis fats, both hydrogen atoms are on the one side of the chain.

While in trans they are on opposites sides. Both Cis and Trans fats are made of precisely similar elements but they act in a total different way because of their arrangement.

Trans fats are great for cooking as they don’t go rancid easily. They even transform the texture of the food, but the sad truth is that they are really bad for your well-being as they have been solidified artificially by partial hydrogenation. Olive oil has one hundred percent unsaturated healthy fat while the same cannot be said for pancake mix as more than half of it is either saturated or trans fat.

11 Health Benefits of Omega-6 Fatty Acid

PUFAs are certain fats that help in many of our bodily functions. Omega 6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acid are also amongst those fats. Omega 6 is a type of unsaturated fat that is found in vegetable oil like corn, primrose seed and soybean oil. They have numerous benefits and are required for your body to grow strong. Unlike Omega-9s, they are not produced inside our body at all and need to be supplemented through the food we eat. In light of this, mentioned below are some incredible health benefits of Omega-6 fatty acids:

1. Reduces Cholesterol

LDL (bad cholesterol) can be excessively harmful for your cardiovascular health and can lead to numerous debilitating health complications. It can cause strokes and heart attacks. Omega-6 Fatty acids have the capability to cut the unhealthy cholesterol in your body with a specific compound found in them. Hence, we can say that this particular type of unsaturated fat promotes heart health.

2. Fights Diabetes

Research shows that omega-6 has the capability to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes which, in many cases is caused by a high amount of fats and cholesterol in our body. It can actually reduce the risk of developing the disease to about 35 percent.

3. Maintain Bone Health

It is very important to have healthy bones as they hold all of our weight and help us perform all of our daily activities. It is crucial for maintaining bone health. Studies show that both men and women can enhance and maintain spine and hip bone health by using omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

4. Stimulate Hair Growth

These fatty acids don’t just nourish hair, but they help you make them thicker. It stimulates the growth of your hair and controls any water loss. It also keeps our scalp healthy and improves the condition of our skin as a bonus.

5. Good for The Reproductive System

It is important to maintain good reproductive health even if you are not planning to have children any time soon. The PUFAs or polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate the reproductive system. In a study, it was found that these PUFAs enhanced the reproductive performance in roosters.

6. Nerve Pain

Having a healthy dose of these PUFAs can have numerous benefits. Taking GLA or gamma linolenic acid can help with nerve pain. Studies show that they have the ability to reduce nerve pain in patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy.

7. Mastalgia

It is cyclic or non-cyclic pain caused in the breasts. Cyclic pain is associated with menstrual periods while non-cyclic can comes from anywhere around the joints or the muscles, which may or may not include breast pain.

8. Relief in PMS Symptoms

PMS can be very irritating and cause a lot of physical discomfort. Fortunately, some studies suggest using primrose oil, that is a source of omega 6 PUFA, can considerably cut down the intensity of PMS pain and symptoms.

9. Regulate Metabolism

It is very important to have our metabolic system in its best condition so that we break down the food effectively and absorb the nutrients to optimally function. Omega 6 fatty acids will help regulate your appetite and enhance your metabolic system.

10. Brain Function

PUFA ensures good brain health by keeping it healthy and active. They strengthen our brain and help the overall health of our bodies.

11. Growth

Both Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids are PUFAs that are essential for healthy growth. They make sure that the body develops well. But it is necessary to take them in a healthy ratio of 1:4, otherwise it can be damaging.

Bottom Line

If your body does not get enough of omega 6 and 3, it may lead to abnormalities in your liver and kidneys. The deficiency can even cause depression, dryness in skin and even reduced functionality of the immune system.

There are a few risks attached with omega 6 fatty acids as they have inflammatory properties and are especially bad for people with eczema or seizures. Therefore, it is necessary to take these acids in good amounts without excess or deficiency. Do not forget to ask your primary care giver before you start using anything that concerns your health. As increasing fatty acids to a level that is too much for your body can cause problems.