How much linoleic acid do I need every day?
Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fat your body can't make. Find out how much you need each day, then see which foods give you the most per FoodFlip Portion.
Directions:
- Enter your age and sex
- See your daily linoleic acid goal
- Add foods highest in linoleic acid, per FoodFlip Portion, to build a day that hits your goal!
About me
For ages 1 and up.
My daily linoleic acid goal
Why does linoleic acid matter?
Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid, which means your body can't make it and has to get it from food. You need it for healthy skin, a strong cell structure, and normal growth. Most people in the U.S. already get plenty, so the goal is to meet your needs from whole-food fats and keep a sensible balance with omega-3s, not to pile on extra.
Tips for meeting your needs
- A little goes a long way: one thumb-size Fat Portion of oil, nuts, or seeds usually covers a big share of your day.
- Pair omega-6 foods with omega-3 sources like salmon, walnuts, chia, and flax to keep the two in balance.
- You don't need to chase high numbers. If you cook with oil and eat nuts or seeds, you're likely already meeting your goal.
Foods highest in linoleic acid
The top 3 in each group, plus a few favorites. Per 1 FoodFlip Portion. Tap + to add a Portion to your day.
You don't need to get all your linoleic acid from one food; across a balanced day, several fats add up.
Where these numbers come from
- AI (Adequate Intake): your daily linoleic acid goal is the National Academies' Adequate Intake, set by age and sex. There is no RDA for linoleic acid, so the AI is the best daily target.
- For pregnancy and breastfeeding (ages 14 to 50), the AI is 13 g per day.
- Linoleic acid per Portion is the omega-6 fat 18:2, from USDA FoodData Central (Foundation Foods and FNDDS survey foods). Grapeseed, walnut, and sesame oils come from the French ANSES-CIQUAL table; hemp hearts and avocado oil from USDA SR Legacy. Amounts follow the FoodFlip Portion Guide.
- The % of my goal on each food compares that Portion's linoleic acid with your own goal above. Oils vary a lot by type: USDA's current sunflower and safflower samples are high-oleic (low in linoleic acid), while high-linoleic versions can be several times higher.
References
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
- ANSES. Ciqual French food composition table, 2020. ciqual.anses.fr.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy. 2019.