Who's afraid of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids? Methodological considerations for assessing whether they are harmful

N-6 fatty acids are essential for normal growth, development and health, and so extreme care is necessary before deciding that they are harmful. Theoretical and epidemiological evidence suggests the involvement of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in disease progression or prevention; however, n-6 function cannot be considered in isolation but needs to be seen as part of the complex of nutrient interactions with n-3 fatty acids (which compete for the same enzymatic pathways) and antioxidants. Insulin sensitivity might be the common factor relating disease to fatty acid metabolism both within and between the fatty acid pathways. High linoleate to arachidonate concentrations have been observed in insulin resistance, diabetic complications and some tumours, but these are multifactorial processes that include many lifestyle determinants and it is therefore wrong to condemn only n-6 fatty acids in their etiology. The results based on the criteria for assessing diet and disease are still insufficient to declare n-6 fatty acids a serious health risk; at most, the verdict should be "not proven". The question may never be conclusively answered not only because prospective dietary intervention trials (unlike those with n-3 fish oil capsules) are fraught with dosage and compliance problems, but also because of high background linoleate consumption. Tissue fatty acid composition may be a suitable biomarker for PUFA intake but there are many theoretical and methodological problems concerning other suitable markers because of the multiplicity of their biological effects. Before making evidence-based dietary recommendations, future research should consider: 1) how n-3 and n-6 dietary PUFAs affect the physiological balance (dose-response) of their derivatives such as eicosanoids and the newly-discovered fatty acid amides; 2) the metabolic interactions between n-6 and n-3 fatty acid pathways (including gene-nutrient effects); 3) the need for antioxidant cover (quantity and quality); 4) prospective intervention trials.