Reader Question: Recently I've been hearing about the health benefits of omega-6 fatty acids. How are these different from omega-3s?

Omega-3s and omega-6s are both types of polyunsaturated fatty acids. For years, health experts have been emphasizing the importance of omega-3s, which are found in foods like salmon, flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil, and protect the heart by fighting inflammation. Meanwhile, there was some concern that omega-6s—which are found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils such as corn, sunflower and soybean—might cause dangerous inflammation. It turns out that was wrong. New studies show that omega-6s also help reduce inflammation and protect your heart. Your body can't make omega-6s (or omega-3s, for that matter), so you need to get enough from food. The American Heart Association now says you should aim for 12 to 22 grams of omega-6s each day (1 tablespoon of vegetable oil has about 13 grams).

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