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Essential fatty acids

Fatty acids are components of fats and oils and are rarely present freely in food. They primarily provide food energy, although certain fatty acids also have special functions in the organism. Most animal fats and some vegetable fats contain vast amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Vegetable oils and fish oil, on the other hand, are rich in unsaturated fatty acids. These are divided into omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids according to the number and position of their double bonds. The omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid and the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid are considered essential because they cannot be formed in the human organism but must be ingested with food. The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can be formed in the body from alpha-linolenic acid, while arachidonic acid can be formed in the body from linoleic acid.

Fish oil or DHA and EPA are also often offered as food supplements.

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