By Fatty Acid Research Institute
July 4, 2025

Public concern over seed oils has been growing, largely because many of these oils are rich in linoleic acid (LA), an essential omega-6 fatty acid. Critics argue that Western diets are overloaded with LA, suggesting this shift is a key contributor to many modern health issues.

According to this view, elevated levels of LA are believed to drive chronic inflammation. But is there solid evidence that consuming more LA — and having higher levels of it in the bloodstream — actually leads to increased inflammation?

Investigators relied on data from the Framingham Offspring Study, a well-known research cohort from the Boston area. The Framingham Offspring Study is a landmark longitudinal research initiative that follows the children of participants in the original Framingham Heart Study to investigate genetic and lifestyle factors influencing cardiovascular and metabolic health. Launched in 1971, it has provided decades of valuable insights into chronic disease risk and prevention. The cohort’s rigor and continuity make it one of the most trusted sources for understanding long-term health trajectories.

Study Design and Biomarker Analysis
This was a cross-sectional study, meaning that the LA and arachidonic acid (AA) levels were measured in the same blood samples as the 10 inflammation-related biomarkers in 2700 individuals. The relationships between the levels of these two omega-6 fatty acids and 10 separate blood/urine biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress were statistically evaluated.

After adjusting (controlling statistically) for multiple other potentially confounding factors (age, race, sex, smoking, blood lipid levels, blood pressure, body weight, etc.), the researchers found that higher LA levels were associated with statistically significantly lower levels of five of the 10 biomarkers, and in no case was higher LA related to higher levels of any biomarker. For AA, higher levels were linked with lower concentrations of four markers, and, like LA, there were no statistically significant associations with higher levels of inflammation/oxidation.