Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are, by definition, polyunsaturated fats
that are essential to human health and that can’t be manufactured by the body.
There are 2 specific families of EFAs: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
- Linoleic Acid is an Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that
can be found in sunflower, safflower, corn, sesame, and other oils. The modern
diet is overloaded with omega-6 fatty acids because of the reliance on
grain-based sustenance such as breads, cereals, pastas, and cakes. To make
matters worse, most of the omega-6-rich oils are also either highly processed
and/or damaged by handling. One specific omega-6 intermediate, gamma
linolenic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose, has some
interesting health-promoting effects in the body. Unlike most of the other
pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats (such as arachidonic acid), GLA
converts to prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) which acts as an anti-inflammatory, blood
thinner, and blood vessel dilator. This makes GLA a valuable asset to any
healthy supplement program.
- Alpha Linolenic Acid is an Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acid that can be found in fatty fishes such as salmon, swordfish, herring, and
mackerel as well as in seeds and nuts such as flax seed, walnuts, and almonds.
FLAX SEED OIL vs FISH OIL
When evaluating which source of omega-3 oils to consume, it’s
important to acknowledge one very important fact: All omega-3 fatty acids are
not created equal. While flax seed oil contains the highest naturally occurring
source of alpha linolenic acid (ALA)—the parent omega-3 it’s
important to remember that ALA must still be converted into the omega-3
intermediates, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
The problem is that humans don’t convert ALA very readily into DHA and EPA.
Likewise, diets that are rich in trans-fatty acids make this fatty acid
conversion even more difficult. A much better solution is to supplement with
fish oils since they already contain rich, naturally occurring, sources of both DHA and EPA. Remember, it’s the DHA and EPA that provides
all the valuable cardio-protective effects.
