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Like
all fats, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) provide energy. Their calorific
value is similar to other fats and oils but, unlike saturated fats, they
have important health roles. In fact, as their names suggest, they are
essential and must be consumed regularly, as the body has limited storage
for them.
Both of the important EFA families — Omega-6 and Omega-3 — are
components of nerve cells and cellular membranes. They are converted by
the body into eicosanoids, leukotrienes and prostaglandins all of which
are needed on a second-by-second basis by most tissue activities in the
body.
EFAs are involved in normal physiology, including:
• Regulating pressure in the eye, joints,
and blood vessels, and mediating immune response
•
Regulating bodily secretions
and their viscosity
•
Dilating or constricting blood
vessels
•
Regulating collateral circulation
•
Directing endocrine hormones
to their target cells
•
Regulating smooth muscles and
autonomic reflexes
•
Being primary constituents
of cell membranes
•
Regulating the rate of cell
division
•
Maintaining the fluidity and
rigidity of cellular membranes
•
Regulating the inflow and outflow
of substances to and from cells
•
Transporting oxygen from red
blood cells to the tissues
•
Maintaining proper kidney function
and fluid balance
•
Keeping saturated fats mobile
in the blood stream
•
Preventing blood cells from
clumping together (blood clots that can be a cause of heart attack and
stroke)
•
Mediating the release of inflammatory
substances from cells that may trigger allergic conditions
•
Regulating nerve transmission
and communication
••
Helping prevent long-term
degenerative illness, which results from a diet deficient in either Omega-3
of Omega-6
However, because the end products (e.g. prostaglandin, leukotriene) of
EFA metabolism differ slightly but significantly from Omega-6 to Omega-3,
both EFAs must be present in balance for optimum health.
*Source:
www.omega-3info.com
