Have you ever wondered why Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are important, and, what is the difference between 3, 6, and 9. Do we need them all? I take EFA’s everyday and so I decided to do some research and here is what I found.

Yes, our bodies do need Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) everyday.

EFA’s support both our cardiovascular system and brain health, along with being important for the liver, hormonal support, immune function and keeping our skin healthy and youthful.

The three EFA’s are Omega 3, 6 and 9. Omegas 3 and 6 are essential because our body cannot make them. For this reason we need to get these two nutrients from our food or through a good quality EFA supplement. All three Omegas are very different to each other and do different things in the body. I will just break them down.

Omega 3

It is found in fish and plants and most nuts, mainly walnuts. Omega 3’s are Polyunsaturated fatty acids. The benefits of Omega 3’s are:

• May Fight Depression and Anxiety
• Supports Eye Health
• Supports and Protects the myelin sheath of our brain
• Supports and Promotes Brain Health During Pregnancy and Early Life
• May Improve Risk Factors for Heart Disease
• Helps with libido
• Improves skin conditions

ALA, EPA and DHA are also Omega 3’s, which additionally play an important role in the human body as follows:

ALA ( Alpha-lipoic acid). ALA is quite complex to talk about, so in simple language, ALA serves vital functions at a cellular level, such as supporting energy production. It provides antioxidant protection and support for other tissue in the body. Humans can only produce a small amount of ALA, so we need to look to supplementation to get the rest of it. ALA is particularly needed for digestion. Without ALA we will start to feel tired all the time and have no energy.

EPA ( eicosapentaenoic acid). This is found in the brain and the wall of every cell in the body. EPA is very important for the proper development of the foetus while developing in the mother. EPA is also anti-inflammatory.

DHA ( docosahexaenoic acid). It is the primary component of the brain and found in the skin, eyes and even men’s testicles.

Omega 6

It is found in meats and vegetable oils like Palm Oil, Flax Oil, Sunflower Oil and Soybean Oil, but Olive Oil funnily enough has very little. Omega 6’s are responsible for making prostaglandins, which are tiny hormones along with being support for the heart and assisting in muscle repair after exercise.

Unfortunately,the modern diet, which does contain Omega 6’s are also filled with bad oils, for example corn, safflower, sunflower, grape seed, soy, peanut, and vegetable; mayonnaise; and many salad dressings. These oils are in just about everything from fried foods, breads to shelf life products. Which is why Omega 6’s can be both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. We need to start looking at what oils are in the foods we are eating and start consuming more of the good foods with Omega 6, like Avocados, eggs, nuts (especially walnuts), have butter not margarine and good quality organic meat, just to name a few. 

The normal ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6 is 1/1. But, as we tend to eat more food with Omega 6, it is recommended to improve the ratio of Omega-3 fats to Omega-6 fats and eat more omega-3s, not fewer omega-6s. It is all about the balance.

Omega 9

It is found in Oleic (in butter), olive oil and sunflower oil. Our body can make Omega 9, but we still need it in small amounts. The body needs this EFA for heart health and blood sugar health. The research I found on omega-9 fatty acids have been shown to increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol and decrease LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, plus they help eliminate plaque build- up in the arteries, which causes heart attack and stroke.

Here is a diagram I found which shows percentage of Omega’s in each oil.

Symptoms of Essential Fatty Acid deficiency

• dry skin
• Allergies
• diabetes
• Atherosclerosis
• Hypertension
• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Infertility
• immune and autoimmune disease
• menstrual issues
• mental disorders

Another point to consider if you do cook with oil, (including coconut oil), is to make sure it from a good quality source. Oils are very sensitive to light and can oxidize very quickly, which results in free radicals. That is why it is important when buying oils in a bottle that it is a dark bottle that is protected from the light. The moment you take the lid off it is subject to oxidation. Oxygen mixed with oil causes the free radicals.

Same goes for Essential Fatty Acids. Capsules are a better way to take these nutrients. Some brands contain oxygen inside the capsule, while other brands may have nitrogen inside. Replacing oxygen with nitrogen increases the stability of fish oil and limits oxidation. It is also important that the EFA’s you are taking have been checked for the presence of heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, furans, and other contaminants. So something else to consider when purchasing your Essential Fatty Acids.

Take home message – yes EFA’s are very important to our health, our brain and our immune system. Anything that supports and protects our brain, needs to be taken, don’t you think? We should be taking EFA’s everyday.

At 90 for Life Australia we take our EFA’s seriously. Our EFA’s are made from good quality sources and in accordance with the IFOS – INTERNATIONAL FISH OIL STANDARDS. All our 90 For Life Packs include our EFA Plus. See for yourself. Have a lovely week everyone.

Healthy Brain & Heart Pak 2.0™