To best maintain your health and wellbeing, it is important that you provide your body with the essential fatty acids it requires. Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that your body cannot make on its own and thus must get from the food or supplements you ingest. The essential fatty acids are Linoleic acid or Omega-6, linolenic acid or Omega-3, and arachidonic acid (combinatio of linoleic and linolenic acids). There are various forms of omega-3 fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is a precursor to the formation of other key omega-3 fatty acids. There are also different omega-6 fatty acids, such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).

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You have likely heard of essential fatty acids, as food manufacturers have increasingly been advertising that their products include them. However, you might not be familiar with what essential fatty acids or EFAs do.

Essential fatty acids are responsible for a variety of functions. This includes them being a key part of cell membranes by helping determine the cell membrane’s fluidity and chemical activity.

EFAs also enable prostaglandins synthesis. Prostaglandins are hormone like substances found in cells. They have a variety of cellular functions. This includes them being responsible for regulating body processes including cardiovascular function, immune system processes, and musculoskeletal system maintenance.

Essential fatty acids are also responsible for regulating oxygen use, electron transportation, and energy production. They also help with the formation of red blood pigments (i.e. haemoglobin). EFAs also support the production of digestive enzyme secretion.

Essential fatty acids are important for maintaining the effective movement of joints, as they help make joint lubricants. EFAs other roles include helping transport cholesterol through the blood, generating electrical currents to maintain a regular heart rate, promoting the immune system’s ability to fight off infections, and balancing the immune system to prevent allergies.

EFAs are required to maintain proper function of the brain, retina, adrenal glands, and testes. They also help ensure that nerves transmissions between nerves continue properly, especially the transmissions related to memory and concentration. EFAs also help promote proper bone formation and repair.

Our bodies need about twice as much Omega-3 than Omega-6 fatty acids. The average Western diet includes minimal amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, since modern food processing tends to destroy most of the EFAs. When there is an imbalance in our diet of omega-3 to omega-6 our bodies have trouble functioning properly. One way to get enough Omega-3 in your diet is to eat three to four servings of salmon every week. Omega-6 fatty acid is often easy to get enough of in our diets, as they are in most plant foods as well as almost all vegetable oils.

Getting enough alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) can be hard to get enough of, though. The best sources of ALA include flaxseed, flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, walnuts, and dark green leafy veggies. When your body gets enough linoleic acid and ALA your body can usually produce the other omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids it requires, such as eicosapentanoic (EPA) and docosahexanoic (DHA) EPA is necessary for prostaglandins and DHA is necessary nutrient for the brain, nervous system, and vision. Vegetarians sometimes have a problem with eating only just enough plant sources of ALA and then fatty acids being used as energy and little of it being turned into EPA and DHA.

There are a number of things that can interfere with the conversion of linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) into their derivatives. One thing that interferes with this conversion is eating trans-fatty acids such as those found in margarine, shortening, commercially baked goods, processed foods, and foods made with partially hydrogenated oils. Eating too much sugar and alcohol consumption can also interfere with the conversion. Other things that can interfere include nutrient deficiencies, viral infections, diabetes, genetic anomalies including deficiencies in certain enzymes, and aging.

Because of some of the things that interfere with essential fatty acid conversion are not solved by simply changing your diet, many people can benefit from using essential fatty acid supplements, especially omega-3 fatty acid supplements. These types of supplements can useful for treating over 60 different health conditions including cardiovascular conditions, arthritis, and auto-immune diseases.

Omega-3 fish oils can play a key role in preventing and treating heart disease. Diets rich in fish oils tend to result in lower blood pressure, less bad cholesterol, and fewer triglycerides. Additionally, they can help increase good cholesterol (HDL). Studies have shown that these results can decrease the risk of developing heart disease.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) can effectively treat inflammatory diseases including asthma, arthritis, allergies, dermatitis, and eczema. Additionally, it can help reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms including breast pain, bloating, depression, and irritation.

Decosahexanoic (DHA) is especially useful for pregnant and nursing mothers. This is because babies are reliant on their mothers to get the DHA they need.

We cannot exist without EFAs, as they are part of every body process. When you do not get enough EFAs or there is an imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6, you can end up with multiple heath problems. This can include injury, infection, chronic diseases, and stress. Omega 3/DHA fish oil products are frequently promoted for their ability to support heart health. They do play a key role in cardiovascular system health, but there are other benefits often overlooked due to the extra promotion fish oil gets for benefiting the heart.

These oils provide the essential fatty acids your body needs just as much as the body needs vitamins and minerals. The oils play a key role in the body’s development and operation of numerous essential substances and physiological functions.

Recent research studies have shown that Omega 3/DHA fish oils do not just benefit the heart, but also the brain. For years dietary oils have been mostly overlooked, especially since some have been unfairly given bad press by health authorities. Fortunately, the tide has changed and the oils have begun to receive recognition as being vitally important.

If your diet includes adequate amounts of fresh oily fish, then it probably reflects in your health and general wellbeing. Take into account the benefits that fish oils can provide as mentioned above. If none of the problems it helps with apply to you, then you probably get enough EFAs from your diet. You are in the minority, as most people do not and can benefit from taking fish oil supplements. If you determine supplementation is right for you, then make sure you use high quality supplements and research the claims to make sure they truly are high quality.