Essential fatty acids
EFAs (ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids) are fatty acids that
humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good
health but cannot synthesize them.
The term essential fatty acid refers to fatty acids required for biological
processes but does not include the fats that only act as fuel. Only two fatty
acids are known to be essential for humans-
Some other fatty acids
are sometimes classified as conditionally essential, meaning that they can
become essential under some developmental or disease conditions; examples
include
- ·
docosahexaenoic acid-an omega-3
fatty acid
- · gamma-linolenic acid-an omega-6 fatty acid
Sources
Fish and shellfish, seaweed oil, flaxseed (linseed) and flaxseed
oil, hemp
seed, olive oil, soya
oil, canola
(rapeseed) oil, chia
seeds, pumpkin
seeds, sunflower
seeds, leafy
vegetables, and walnuts.
Daily Requirements
|
2 gm |
|
|
10 gm |
Functions
of essential fatty acids
1. They help in normal growth.
2. They are structural
components of cells.
3.they are modified to make the classic Eicosanoids (affecting inflammation and
many other cellular functions) the endocannabinoids (affecting
mood, behavior and inflammation) , the lipoxins
which are a group of eicosanoid derivatives formed via the lipoxygenase pathway
from ω-6 EFAs and resolvins from ω-3 (in the presence of
acetylsalicylic acid, downregulating inflammation) the isofurans,
neurofurans, isoprostanes, hepoxilins, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs)
and neuroprotectin D.
4. They are responsible
for the maintenance of normal healthy skin.
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