nutrient
Polyunsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fatty acids contain two or more carbon–carbon double bonds.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
The group includes omega-3 and omega-6 families with distinct members such as ALA, EPA, DHA, linoleic acid and arachidonic acid.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| English walnuts, raw | 49.3 g |
| Ground flaxseed | 24.7 g |
| Almonds, dry-roasted and salted | 14.5 g |
| Almonds | 11.2 g |
| Hummus, commercial | 7.48 g |
Show 20 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018) | 5.15 g |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018) | 4.55 g |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw | 4.06 g |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 3.89 g |
| Braised chicken drumstick | 1.24 g |
| Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 1.24 g |
| Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable | 1.15 g |
| Braised chicken breast | 0.77 g |
| Salmon | 0.71 g |
| Beef ribeye, raw | 0.63 g |
| Roasted beef tenderloin | 0.47 g |
| Ground beef, 90% lean and 10% fat | 0.36 g |
| Chicken breast, raw | 0.3 g |
| Light tuna, canned in water, drained | 0.26 g |
| Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.18 g |
| Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 0.17 g |
| Carrots, frozen and unprepared | 0.16 g |
| Cottage cheese, 2% fat | 0.07 g |
| Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified | 0.03 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 0.01 g |
About these amounts
These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.
Portions recorded by the source
- Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 19.58 g.
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 2.54 g.
- Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 1.29 g.
- Braised chicken breast: 1 piece (174 g) — 1.33 g.
- Roasted beef tenderloin: 1 roast (462 g) — 2.18 g.
- Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 1 can (142 g) — 0.37 g.
- Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 0.16 g.
- Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 0.08 g.
- Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 0.02 g.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
Several families in one class
PUFAs differ by chain length and the position of their first double bond. These differences affect metabolism and food sources, so “polyunsaturated fat” is a useful category but not a complete physiological description.
Related topics
Vitamin E helps protect polyunsaturated fats from oxidation.
Vitamin E helps interrupt oxidation reactions involving polyunsaturated fats in cell membranes. This is a biochemical role, not a claim that supplements prevent a disease.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Total fat includes Polyunsaturated fat
Total fat is a compositional category that includes polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol
Polyunsaturated fat includes Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
ALA is one member of the polyunsaturated fatty-acid group.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol
Polyunsaturated fat includes Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
EPA is one member of the polyunsaturated fatty-acid group.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol
Polyunsaturated fat includes Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
DHA is one member of the polyunsaturated fatty-acid group.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol
Show 2 more
Polyunsaturated fat includes Linoleic acid
Linoleic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol
Polyunsaturated fat includes Arachidonic acid
Arachidonic acid is a long-chain omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol
Worth knowing
EFSA separates members. EFSA sets an adequate intake for ALA and specific adult guidance for EPA plus DHA, while not setting one DRV for total cis-PUFA.
A closer look
The omega label matters
Omega-3 and omega-6 families have different double-bond positions and metabolic pathways, despite both being PUFAs.
One member does not represent the class
ALA, EPA, DHA, linoleic acid and arachidonic acid differ in chain length, food sources and metabolism.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterolChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Health Professional Fact SheetChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Vitamin E: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central Foundation Foods, April 2026 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central SR Legacy, April 2018 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for magnesiumChecked 2026-09-04
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-04
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData CentralChecked 2026-09-04
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Tofu tahini cabbage bowl · 18 min →
Crunchy cabbage hummus tacos · 12 min →
Green bean peanut tofu · 25 min →
Compare meals by polyunsaturated fat →