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ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS GENERAL INFORMATION Every cell in our body is surrounded by an outer layer (membrane) composed of essential fatty acids, cholesterol and other fat-like chemicals (lipids). All nutrients entering the cell must pass through this lipid membrane. All waste products leaving the cell must carried out across this membrane. If the lipid membrane is damaged the cell can not function normally and disease may result. Our body can produce many of the fatty acids (fats) we need. For example, the liver will continue to produce cholesterol even if none is eaten. Fats that can be produced by the body are called "non-essential" fatty acids. They are still necessary but it is "not-essential" that they be part of our diet because our body can make them on its own. Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) can not
be made in the body and must In order to understand the importance of the Essential Fatty Acids it is important to understand another group of chemicals producedin the body, the Prostaglandins. Prostaglandins regulate most of thebody's chemical reactions within the cell and generally occur in "pairs of opposites" where one causes a particular effect and the "opposite" counteracts this effect. Prostaglandins can only be produced from EFA, and Omega-6 EFA and Omega-3 EFA each produce different types of Prostaglandins. A deficiency in Omega-3 EFA will cause a shortage of the prostaglandins it produces. The result is an unbalanced over activity of the prostaglandins produced by the Omega-6 EFA. |