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Linoleic Acid
Essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (18:2n-6) that is the parent of arachidonic acid and the major dietary PUFA in Western diets (sunflower, corn, soybean oils).
Also: 18:2n-6, LA
Linoleic acid is essential because humans lack Δ12 and Δ15 desaturases. Deficiency causes growth failure, dermatitis, and impaired wound healing, with biochemical signature of elevated triene:tetraene ratio (Mead acid / arachidonic acid). The AI is 17 g/d men and 12 g/d women. Replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid lowers LDL-C; the proposed pro-inflammatory effect of linoleic acid in vivo is not strongly supported.
How one textbook covers it
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 12th ed. — Ch 4: Lipids and Lipid Metabolites
Linoleic acid is essential because humans lack Δ12 and Δ15 desaturases. Deficiency causes growth failure, dermatitis, and impaired wound healing, with biochemical signature of elevated triene:tetraene ratio (Mead acid / arachidonic acid). The AI is 17 g/d men and 12 g/d women. Replacement of saturated fat with linoleic acid lowers LDL-C; the proposed pro-inflammatory effect of linoleic acid in vivo is not strongly supported.
Related terms
Arachidonic acid, Essential fatty acid, Omega-6 fatty acids