Research

Hormonal

High habitual intake of long-chain n-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) combined with high intake of n-6 fatty acids (cis-linoleic acid) is associated with the lowest plasma levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2), refuting the assumption that n-6 fatty acids antagonize the anti-inflammatory effects of n-3 fatty acids.

To minimize inflammation, aim for a diet that includes both fatty fish (for EPA/DHA) and sources of n-6 fatty acids (like vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds). The research indicates that having high levels of both in your diet is associated with the lowest levels of inflammatory markers, contradicting the idea that you should strictly limit n-6 fats to benefit from n-3 fats.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
These results suggest that n-6 fatty acids do not inhibit the antiinflammatory effects of n-3 fatty acids and that the combination of both types of fatty acids is associated with the lowest levels of inflammation.
Tobias Pischon et al. · Circulation · 2003

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort studies (HPFS and NHSII) with rigorous adjustment for confounders, though the cross-sectional analysis of biomarkers limits causal inference.

Source

Habitual Dietary Intake of n-3 and n-6 Fatty Acids in Relation to Inflammatory Markers Among US Men and Women

Tobias Pischon et al. · Circulation · 2003

DOI 10.1161/01.cir.0000079224.46084.c2

cross_sectional · n=859Cited 561×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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