Essential Fatty Acids

The body cannot produce the essential fatty acids or EFA’s, which are fats that are important nutrients crucial to a healthy diet. Present in all healthy body cells, they are necessary for normal functioning and growth of the organs, nerves, muscles, and cells. The body uses essential fatty acid or EFA to produce prostaglandins, which are a type of hormone like substances. These prostaglandins are necessary for many significant body processes. Essential fatty acid deficiencies are associated with several serious health problems such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. These essential fatty acids in human nutrition psychologil are very important. The amount of Americas that do not consume sufficient amounts of essential fatty acids in their diet is huge and this has created an essential fatty acid deficiency.

Three types of dietary fats are cholesterol, saturated fats and unsaturated fats. You find most saturated fats in nuts, avocados, dairy products and meat products while animal products are the only source of cholesterol. The human body also produces small amounts of cholesterol from saturated fats. The healthiest dietary fats are unsaturated fats found in nut and vegetable oils and in some fish. Most people diet needs an increase in unsaturated fats, which are sources of essential fatty acids, as they have an EFA deficiency in their diets.

Essential fatty acids are important in dealing with several health issues such as:

• EFA’s and acne
  
• Essential fatty acids and menstruation cycle
  
• Weight loss EFA
  
• Essential fatty acids and ADHD
  
• Essential fatty acids and the immune system
  

The body needs essential fatty acids, eicosinoids, which is a hormone-like substance helps regulate several body functions including inflammatory and immune responses, vasoconstriction, blood viscosity, and blood pressure.

For children, essential fatty acids are necessary, fundamental nutrients needed for healthy skin, cell growth, and proper immune function. Every aspect of children’s mental and emotional function and growth depend upon essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are critical for infant and children’s neuronal development as half their brain is built from this. In addition, omega 3, omega 9, and omega 6 fatty acids are important for many crucial brain and body functions. The human body does not manufacture essential fatty acids and food processing destroys many of the essential fatty acid nutrients, which makes supplements necessary for both children and adults in many cases.