Omega-6 Linoleic Acid Unit Converter

Linoleic acid (LA) is an essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that your body cannot produce on its own. It must be obtained entirely from dietary sources.

Chemically, linoleic acid contains 18 carbon atoms with two double bonds (18:2n-6). It is the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in both the human diet and in body tissues, typically making up 20-30% of total fatty acids in blood.

As the parent fatty acid of the omega-6 family, linoleic acid serves as the starting material for synthesizing other important omega-6 fatty acids, including arachidonic acid, which plays key roles in cell signaling and inflammation.

Linoleic acid comes exclusively from dietary sources because the human body cannot synthesize it. The richest sources are vegetable oils (soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower), nuts, seeds, and to a lesser extent, meats, eggs, and dairy products.