What are essential fatty acids? Foods, definition, and ...

Essential fatty acids include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are essential to health and people must consume them through food. MedicalNewsTodayHealthConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribeWhattoknowaboutessentialfattyacidsMedicallyreviewedbyJerlynJones,MSMPARDNLDCLT,Nutrition—WrittenbyCaitlinGengonJanuary30,2022Whatarethey?FoodsourcesOthersourcesDeficiencySummaryFattyacidsarenecessaryforthenormalfunctioningofallsystemsinthebody.Peoplecanonlygetessentialfattyacidsfromfoodsources.Therearetwotypesoffattyacids:essentialandnonessential.Thebodycancreatenonessentialfattyacidsbyconvertingaminoacidsinthefoodsapersoneats.However,thebodycannotcreateessentialfattyacids.Itcanonlygetthemdirectlyfromfoodsources.Essentialfattyacidsincludelinoleicacid(LA),anomega-6fattyacid,andalpha-linolenicacid(ALA),anomega-3fattyacid.Thesefattyacidsmakehormonesthatregulatetheimmunesystemandcentralnervoussystem.Readmoretolearnaboutessentialfattyacids,examplesoffoodsthatcontainthem,andthesymptomsofessentialfattyaciddeficiency.Whatareessentialfattyacids?ShareonPinterestJavierZayasPhotography/GettyImagesEssentialfattyacidsareatypeofpolyunsaturatedfattyacid.Therearetwocategoriesofessentialfattyacids:omega-3andomega-6.Thenumbersrefertothepositionofthefirstcarbondoublebondcountingfromthetailofthechain.Forexample,inomega-3fattyacids,thefirstcarbon-carbondoublebondisthethirdbondfromtheend.Inomega-6fattyacids,itissixthfromtheend.Omega-3andomega-6fattyacidsarenecessaryforthebodytofunctioncorrectly.Theymakecompoundscalledeicosanoids,whichareimportanthormonesthatcontroltheimmunesystem,nervoussystem,andotherhormones.However,theeicosanoidsfromomega-3andomega-6fattyacidsactdifferently.Eicosanoidsfromomega-3fattyacidspromotehearthealth,whileeicosanoidsfromomega-6increaseimmuneresponse,inflammation,andbloodpressure.Becausethetwoomegafattyacidscanproduceoppositeeffects,apersonshouldtrytobalancethemintheirdiet.BenefitsSomeresearchsuggestsapossiblelinkbetweenomega-3fattyacidsandalowerincidenceofheartdiseaseandcertaincancers.Theymayalsohelpwithsymptomsofrheumatoidarthritis.A2012reviewhighlightedolderstudiessuggestingomega-3fattyacidsmayalsohelppreventboweldisease,asthma,andsomementalhealthconditions.However,itisimportanttonotethatmostoftheresearchonomega-3shasfocusedonfattyacidsfromanimalsources,likefishandfishoil,ratherthanplant-basedsources.Someofthebenefitsobservedinstudiesmaycomefromconsumingfish,nottheomega-3fattyacidsthemselves.Learnmoreaboutthebenefitsofomega-3fattyacids.EssentialfattyacidsfoodsCertainfoodsarehighinessentialfattyacids.Omega-3sPlantsourcesofomega-3s,alsocalledALAs,include:flaxseedoilchiaseedswalnutsflaxseedswalnutoilcanolaoilsoybeanoilmustardoiltofuAnimalsourcesofomega-3sarecalleddocosahexaenoicacid(DHA)andeicosapentaenoicacid(EPA).SourcesofDHAinclude:mackerelsalmonherringfishoiltunaanchoviessardinesseabassswordfishSourcesofEPAinclude:menhadensalmontrouthalibutherringshadsablefishwolffishOmega-6sFoodsourcesofomega-6s,alsocalledLAs,include:canolaoilsoybeanoilcornoilsunfloweroilsaffloweroilchiaseedswalnutshazelnutsalmondsBrazilnutsOthersourcesofessentialfattyacidsPeoplecommonlytakeomega-3essentialfattyacidsupplementsintheformoffishoils.Theseinclude:fishoilcodliveroilkrilloilPeoplewhodonotconsumefishcantryalgaloil,aplant-basedomega-3supplementmadefromalgae.EssentialfattyaciddeficiencyEssentialfattyaciddeficiency(EFAD)israre,especiallyinpeoplewhoeatavarieddiet.CertainconditionsthataffectabsorptionormetabolismmaycauseEFAD.SymptomsSymptomsofEFADmayinclude:hairlossadry,scalyrashslowwoundhealingdecreasedgrowthDiagnosisTodetermineifapersonhasEFAD,adoctorwillperformaphysicalexaminationtolookforfeaturessuchasdry,scalyskin.Theymayalsoaskquestionsaboutwoundhealing,growth,andsusceptibilitytoinfection.Doctorsmaydobloodandurineteststodetermineliverandkidneyfunctionandmeasurethelevelsofessentialfattyacids.TreatmentIfapersonreceivesadiagnosisofEFAD,adoctormaysuggesttheyeatadietrichinnutbutters,vegetableoils,andoilyfish.Theymayalsosuggestanintravenousliquidemulsion.Theseemulsionsusuallyconsistofsoybeanoilandotherfattyacidsources.SummaryEssentialfattyacidsarefattyacidsthebodycannotproduceonitsown.Theyplayakeyroleinvariousbodilyfunctions,includinghearthealth,cancerprevention,cognitivefunction,skinhealth,andobesityprevention.Goodfoodsourcesofessentialfattyacidsincludevegetableoils,nuts,andoilycold-waterfish.Supplementscontainingessentialfattyacidsincludeflaxseedoil,fishoil,codliveroil,andkrilloil.Essentialfattyaciddeficiencyisrare.Ifapersonhasthecondition,adoctormayrecommendadiethighinfattyacidsorprescribeanIVliquidemulsion.LastmedicallyreviewedonJanuary30,2022Nutrition/Diet10sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Chapter5:Lipids.(2020).HumanNutrition:2020Edition.https://pressbooks.oer.hawaii.edu/humannutrition2/chapter/5-nonessential-and-essential-fatty-acids/Essentialfattyacids.(2019).https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/essential-fatty-acidsGammone,M.A.,etal.(2018).Omega-3polyunsaturatedfattyacids:Benefitsandendpointsinsport.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6357022Gramlich,L.,etal.(2019).Essentialfattyacidrequirementsandintravenouslipidemulsions.https://aspenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jpen.1537Kaur,N.,etal.(2012).Essentialfattyacidsasfunctionalcomponentsoffoods:Areview.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4190204/Mariamenatu,A.H.,etal.(2021).Overconsumptionofomega-6polyunsaturatedfattyacids(PUFAs)versusdeficiencyofomega-3PUFAsinmodern-daydiets:Thedisturbingfactorfortheir“balancedantagonisticmetabolicfunctions”inthehumanbody.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7990530/Mogensen,K.M.(2017).Essentialfattyaciddeficiency.https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/06/Parrish-June-17.pdfOmega-3fattyacids.(2021).https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/Saini,R.K.,etal.(2018).Omega-3andomega-6polyunsaturatedfattyacids:Dietarysources,metabolism,andsignificance:Areview.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024320518302303?via%3DihubUSDAnationalnutrientdatabaseforstandardreference:Release28.(2016).https://ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/usdandb/DHA-Content.pdfFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyJerlynJones,MSMPARDNLDCLT,Nutrition—WrittenbyCaitlinGengonJanuary30,2022LatestnewsHighlycreativepeoplehave‘uniquebrainconnectivity,’studyshowsCervicalcancer:Single-doseHPVvaccine'highlyeffective'WhatimmuneimprintingmeansforthefutureofCOVID-19vaccinesMigraineandgenetics:LargeststudytodatemayinspirenewtreatmentsWorldfirst:Scientistsmapbrainchangesfrombirthto100yearsoldRelatedCoverageWhattoknowaboutomega-3fattyacidsMedicallyreviewedbyKatherineMarengoLDN,R.D.Omega-3fattyacidsarepresentinfoodssuchasfish.Theirpotentialbenefitsincludereducinginflammationandheartdiseaserisk.Adversely,omega-READMOREWhattoknowaboutomega-6fattyacidsMedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COIOmega-6fattyacidsareatypeoffatpresentincertainfoods.Thisarticlecoverstheirfunctioninthebody,theirbenefits,andtheirfoodsources.READMOREPolyunsaturatedfat:EverythingyouneedtoknowMedicallyreviewedbyGrantTinsley,PhDPolyunsaturatedfatscanbehealthfulinmoderation.Amongthemareomega-3fattyacids,whichmayprovideavarietyofbenefitstothebody.Learn…READMOREWhatarethebestsourcesofomega-3?MedicallyreviewedbyNatalieOlsen,R.D.,L.D.,ACSMEP-COmega-3fattyacidsareessentialnutrients.Oilyfish,seeds,andnutsareamongthebestsources.Inthisarticle,wetakealookat15omega-3-rich…READMOREIsomega-3goodforhairgrowth?MedicallyreviewedbyAlexandraPerez,PharmD,MBA,BCGPAfewstudiessuggestthatomega-3smayimprovehairgrowthandthickness.However,theoverallevidenceofbenefitsforhairhealthislimited.READMORE