Role of Omega-3 and Omega-6 on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Importance of Dietary Sources and Lipid Structure

Omega-3 (α-linolenic acid – ALA, C18:3n-3) and omega-6 (linoleic acid – LA, C18:2n-6) are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as they cannot be synthesized by humans or other higher animals. These PUFAs play an important role in maintaining cardiovascular health, being extensively studied. Mediterranean diet has been repeatedly associated with lower cardiovascular risk, largely due to the abundance of omega-3.

In the human body, ALA and LA are converted to other forms of PUFAs, important for human health including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, C22:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n-3) from the omega-3 family, and γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA, 20:3n-6) and arachidonic acid (AA, C20: 4n-6) from the omega-6 family.

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