What are Essenial Fatty acids?
An Essential fatty acid is a molecule consisting of a chain of carbon atoms with an organic acid group at one end. The number of carbon atoms can vary from 4 to 24, and each is surrounded by hydrogen atoms. Each carbon atom is normally joined to the next one by two electrons, in what is known as a single bond. If the carbon atoms are all linked by single bonds, the fatty acid is known as “saturated”. Saturated fatty acids are very stable, meaning their structure is difficult to disrupt through light, heat or oxygen, so manufacturers like to use them for food because of their long shelf lives. But depending on their length, saturated fatty acids may not be easily digestible, and can lead to poor health. Sometimes one of the hydrogen atoms is replaced by another bond, so that now some carbon atoms are joined by a double bond. Fatty acids containing double bonds are known as “unsaturated”. If more than one double bond exists in a fatty acid molecule, it is known as “poly-unsaturated”. The
