Essential Fatty Acids - Linolenic Acid

Omega 3- and Omega 6 fatty acids are called essential fatty acids. If we do not get sufficient amounts of these fatty acids we can become ill just in the case of vitamin deficiency. These fatty acids actually were used to be called vitamin F.
Omega 3 fatty acids can sometimes be seen designated as n-3. We primarily get these fatty acids from fish but in smaller amounts also from certain plants and in larger amounts from e.g. flaxseed oil and walnut oil. To the Omega 3 group, the following fatty acids belong: ALA (Alpha lipoic acid), EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid).
Omega 6 fatty acids are also sometimes designated n-6 and they can be found in plant oils. A good source is for example the plant Evening primrose. To the Omega 6 group, the following fatty acids belong: LA (Linolic acid), GLA (Gamma-linolenic acid), DGLA (Dihomo gamma-linolenic acid) and AA (Arachidonic acid).
Moreover, these fatty acids produce several hormone-like substances called prostaglandins.
The ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids in the diet is also extremely important to your health. Climatic conditions seem to be of decisive importans just as there seem to be individual needs. Eskimos eat more than twice as much Omega 3 as Omega 6 while in the Mediterranean countries, they eat about 6 times as much Omega 6 as Omega 3. In Scandinavia where there is a temperate climate, there is some disagreement about what ratio of fatty acids our food should consist of. Some people recommend equal amounts of each while others recommend that we consume four times as much Omega 6 as Omega 3. However, there is a general agreement that many people get too small amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids.
The essential fatty acids have a beneficial effect on many health-related problems. They lower the blood pressure, prevent rheumatic conditions, inhibit the growth of breast cancer, lower the level of cholesterol and fat in the blood, are effective against eczema, psoriasis, and sclerosis. They are also used in the treatment of fungal infections, cardiovascular diseases, and they lower the risk of blood clots. The polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in large amounts in the brain where they fortify the transmission of nervous impulses, and they are the basis of a normal brain function and strengthen learning and the memory. The essential fatty acids regulate the immune functions.
Several diseases block the prostaglandin synthesis, which means that your body cannot transform the natural linolic acids into EPA and GLA on its own. Since these substances are vital to the restoration of health, you must consume them in the converted form; as omega 3, EPA - and omega 6, GLA.
Also see "Omega 3 - EPA" and "Omega 6 - GLA - Gamma linolenic acid".