What Are Total Count Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids?

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential fatty acids that contain more than one double bond in their backbone.

Our body needs fat from the food we eat. It's a major source of energy.

Unsaturated fats are considered beneficial fats.

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids induce several responses that modulate appetite, food intake, energy expenditure, adipose tissue metabolism, and fat oxidation.

For these reasons, PUFA is a potential candidate to help achieve a negative energy balance, support weight loss, and reduce fat mass.

Health-Promoting Effects Of PUFAs

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are a class of compounds that have beneficial effects on health.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are therapeutic, and health-promoting effects have already been established in various chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. (source ◳)

What Means Total Count?

It's when all saturated fatty acids are counted together in a food.

Not specified in the different sorts or kinds.

Omega-3 And Omega-6

PUFAs are categorized as omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) depending on the location of the last double bond. (source ◳)

But there are differences between omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs. Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with decreased inflammation, while Omega-6 fatty acids are associated with increased inflammation. (source ◳)

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in many foods, including salmon, eggs, and walnuts. (source)

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in most vegetable oils, including sunflower, corn, and canola oils.(source ◳)

Foods You Can Find Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In

• alpha-Linolenic acid, AHA, 18:3n-3
• Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, EET, 20:3n-3
• Eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, 20:5n-3
• Docosahexaenoic acid, DHA, 22:6n-3

Foods in our nutrition tool

• Linoleic acid, 18:2n-6
• gamma-Linoleic acid, 18:3n-6
• Arachidonic acid, AA, 20:4n-6
• Docosapenaenoic acid, 22:5

You find polyunsaturated fatty acids mostly in fats and oil products.

Examples of food sources include

• Safflower Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Flaxseed Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Soybean & Sunflower Oil
• Walnut Oil
• Poppyseed Oil

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 polyunsaturated fatty acids, we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Fatty Acids, total polyunsaturated.

Sara Niemelä

co-founder Care Omnia, Head Content Creator

Nutrition is my passion. I've spent thousands upon thousands of hours reading, analyzing, categorizing and comparing research studies.

I’m a wife and a mother of three. I enjoy the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with my family.