What Is Linoleic Acid (18:2 n-6) & What Foods Can I Find It In?
Linoleic acid, 18:2 n-6, is categorized as a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid.
It is an essential fatty acid, meaning that its consumption is vital for our health and must be obtained through our diet.
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Linoleic Acid is Essential
Linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated and omega-6 fatty acid (source ◳), plays a crucial role in maintaining the skin's epidermal water barrier (source ◳).
It is also essential for the synthesis of various hormones (source ◳).
Linoleic Acid is Common
Linoleic acid stands as the most highly consumed polyunsaturated fat in our diet and serves as a source of energy, like all fatty acids (source ◳).
Major dietary sources include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, meats, and eggs (source ◳). Vegetable oils, widely consumed in the Western diet, can contain linoleic acid at levels exceeding 50% (source ◳).
Foods You Can Find Linoleic Acid In
You find linoleic acid mostly in and fats and oil products.
Examples of food sources include
Foods in our nutrition tool
You can find regularly updated, top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.
If you are interested in what foods contain the most linoleic acid, we recommend you visit our tool.
Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Linoleic Acid (18:2 n-6).
