Is Too Much Linoleic Acid Harmful

It plays a role in reproduction, brain activity, hair growth, bone density and energy production – but if you consume too much and the rest of your diet isn’t right, it can cause alarming health problems, including metabolic disease, heart disease, joint pain and skin conditions such as eczema.

Why linoleic acid is bad for you?

Concerns have been raised about higher linoleic acid consumption being harmful for heart health because of potential pro-inflammatory and thrombogenic properties. Linoleic acid can be elongated to arachidonic acid and subsequently synthesized to a variety of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, which may increase CHD risk.

How much linoleic acid do you need?

Based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports, current consumption of linoleic acid by average adult men in the U.S. is 16.0 g per day, and by adult women, 12.6 g/day [9]. These intake levels correspond to 6.0% and 5.5% of total average consumed energy, respectively [10].