What exactly are essential fatty acids?
Essential fatty acids are vital nutrients critical for health. When a nutrient is classified as essential it means that the body needs it to function properly but the body cannot make it for itself and we must provide for it in the form of food or as supplement. Strictly speaking, there are only two essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from the Omega 3 family and linoleic acid (LA) from the Omega 6 family. Using the ALA and LA our body can make the other fatty acids in the respective Omega 3 and Omega 6 families. However, most people also classify the other fatty acids in the Omega 3 family (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid more commonly know as EPA and DHA) and the Omega 6 family (gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, dihomogamma-linolenic acid) as essential fatty acids as well.
