Omega 3 and Omega 6 are essential fatty acids that play important roles in heart health, brain function, and inflammation. An imbalance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in the diet may contribute to chronic diseases such as heart disease and autoimmune disorders.
Eicosadienoic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid. Elevated levels would shift the balance toward more omega-6.
References
James H. O’Keefe, D. Williamson, and P. O’Keefe. The Importance of Maintaining a Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma, and Allergies. Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2022). https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.029Y. Wang, D. Xu, and J. Zhao. Higher ratio of plasma omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is associated with increased all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality in a large US cohort. eLife (2023). https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/90132v2Alessandro Antonietti, et al.. Associations between Dietary Intake, Blood Levels of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Reading Abilities in Children. Biomolecules (2023). https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/2/368
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid. Higher EPA levels would increase the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.
References
Simopoulos, A. P.. An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk of Obesity in Humans: A Review. Nutrients (2016). https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/3/128Wijendran, V., & Hayes, K. C.. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have distinct effects on endothelial function. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (2021). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0952327821000995Delgado-Lista, J., et al.. Global survey of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, in the bloodstream of healthy adults worldwide. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (2015). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163782715300333Rizos, E. C., et al.. Omega-3 and Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Intakes and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review. Nutrients (2023). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9920307/Djuricic, I., & Calder, P. C.. Beneficial Outcomes of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Human Health: An Update for 2021. Nutrients (2021). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8308533/