The essential fatty acids are becoming increasingly well known, and used by more and more people as a growing number of health benefits are now associated with these important compounds. But how many people know what essential fatty acids are, what the difference is between omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and what they do in the body?
What are Essential Fatty acids?
Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat molecules, and essential fatty acids are fatty acids that are needed by the body, but cannot be made by it, and so must be obtained from the diet.
What is the difference between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids?
The essential fatty acids consist of two groups of fatty acids, the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The number refers to the chemistry of the fat, and simply indicates the position of a double bond between carbon atoms in the fatty acid molecule.
What are omega-9 fatty acids?
Omega-9 fatty acids are considered necessary yet ‘non-essential’ because the body is generally capable of making these, as long as the omega-3 and 6 essential fatty acids are present.
What is the difference between the fatty acids such as DHA & GLA?
In the body, fatty acid synthesis starts with two short chain essential fatty acids:
Omega-3: ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid)
and Omega-6: LA (Linoleic acid)
These two essential fatty acids are converted by the body to the other fatty acids.
What do essential fatty acids do?
Both omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids play an important role in the production of prostaglandins, powerful hormone-like substances that regulate many important physiological processes including blood pressure and blood clotting, as well as the inflammatory and allergic responses.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids provide the precursors for the prostaglandins that are known to reduce inflammation, reduce platelet aggregation (helping to keep the blood ‘thin’) and inhibit other pro-inflammatory substances.
Essential fatty acids are also important for healthy skin and hair, nerves and cell membranes.
Clinical and research studies have shown omega-3 to be beneficial in heart and vessel health, mental health and weight management as well helping to reduce inflammation in conditions such as osteoarthritis.
What is the difference between Fish oil, Flaxseed oil, Hemp oil and Evening Primrose oil?
Fish oil
Fish oil is probably the most well-known source of omega-3 fatty acids. Most specifically it provides you with preformed EPA and DHA, the two fatty acids known to be most beneficial for brain and nerve health. The conversion from ALA to EPA then DHA has been performed by the fish and so doesn’t need to be done by your body, making these two important fatty acids readily available.
Flaxseed Oil
One of the most concentrated vegetable sources of the omega-3 fatty acid, ALA. Flaxseed Oil provides your body with the essential fatty acid starting point it needs to make the other omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil is especially beneficial to people following a vegetarian diet who don’t get any of this essential fatty acid from foods such as fish.
Hemp seed oil
Is also high in ALA, but a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition demonstrated results that suggested that it was less effective than flaxseed oil in providing ALA to participants.
Evening Primrose oil
Evening Primrose oil provides you with the omega-6 fatty acid, GLA which is present in very few plants. GLA is known to be one of the beneficial omega-6 fatty acids that shares many of the functions of the omega-3 fatty acids. People with allergies may have difficulty converting LA to GLA in their bodies, and GLA is one of the fatty acids considered beneficial allergic conditions such as eczema.