Essential
Fatty Acids
The nutrient that I've decided to create this entire blog about is
essential fatty acids, also commonly known as fatty acids. Essential
fatty acids are needed by both humans and animals for good health and
must be ingested through a food source as our bodies are unable to
synthesize or create these fatty acids. There are only two essential
fatty acids currently known as alpha-linolenic acid, which is
an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, which is an omega-6
fatty acid. There are also three different fatty acids that are
considered only to be conditionally essential and these include
gamma-linolenic acid, which is an omega-6 fatty acid, lauric
acid, which is a saturated fatty acid, and palmitoleic acid,
which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. The two essential fatty acids
were first discovered in 1923 ans were first classified as Vitamin F
until 1930 in which they were better classified as fats rather than
vitamins.
Functions
Essential
fatty acids are known to serve multiple functions in the body and are
based on the balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the body.
The main functions of essential fatty acids are known to affect
inflammation, mood and behavior, affect cellular signaling, and act on
DNA by activating or inhibiting transcription factors which are
linked to pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Essential fatty acids
are able to affect these functions by creating different molecules
usually through oxidation and these different molecules oversee these
functions.
Bone
& Muscle Devlopement
There
is evidence that Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids or LCPUFAs,
have critical roles in regulating bone metabolism and may have therapeutic potential in management of postmenopausal osteoporosis.
The bodies ability to convert precursor essential fatty acids into
more highly unsaturated LCPUFAs decreases with aging, menopause, and
various lifestyle factors such as smoking. Increasing dietary intake
of essential fatty acids has shown to minimize the decline in bone
mass caused by menopause in women and ovariectomy in animal models.
Polyunsaturated
fatty acids have also been suggested to influence bone growth and
modeling in humans, although the data is very limited. The results of
of one study showed that omega-3 fatty acids, especially
Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, are positively associated with bone
mineral accrual and with peak bone mineral density in younger men.
Food
Sources
Linoleic Acid
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Grains
- Seeds
- Fish
Oils made from:
- Safflower
- Sunflower
- Corn
- Soya
- Evening primrose
- Pumpkin
- Wheatgerm.
- Flaxseeds (linseeds)
- Mustard seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Walnut oil
- Green leafy vegetables
- Grains
- Spirulina
Oils made from:
- Linseed (flaxseeds)
- Rapeseed (canola)
- Hemp seeds
Resources
"Essential
fatty acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d.
Web. 26 Oct. 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_fatty_acid>.
"Essential
fatty acids, vegan omega 3, omega 6, EPA and DHA - The Vegan
Society."Home - The Vegan Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 14
Oct. 2012.
<http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/essential-fatty-acids.aspx>
Hi Jesse. I think that you did a good job of outlining what foods contain essential fatty acids in this blog post. I don't know that much about essential fatty acids myself and found that you included good background information. Have you found any studies that have backed up the information that efa help with muscle and bone development? I would also like to find more information on how efa an affect mood, inflammation, and behavior.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nina. Yes, I've actually included 2 different studies in this post if you look at the parts right before food sources. Some of my more recent blog posts also answer your questions regarding mood, inflammation, and behavior! If you have any other questions feel free to ask away.
DeleteJesse, your food sources list for fatty acids is fabulous! The layout makes it very user friendly to clearly see almonds and grains are great sources of essential fatty acids. Then it is relatively easy to associate that yes nuts have good fat. I didn't know that fatty acids can help to prevent osteoporosis or the relationship to mood and behavior. That brings to mind a story I remember about the fast food made me do it defense. Makes me want to look into it, maybe the defense attorney had a good case.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I walked away from your blog with a little more knowledge of the role and importance fatty acid plays in diet.
Thanks Michelle! I'm glad that you learned a bit and hope that you'll learn even more from my blog before the end of the semester. If you have any questions regarding anything feel free to ask anytime! Also, eat your nuts they are healthy for you and your heart!
DeleteI like your sources of fatty acids! You explained a lot about their functions and why they are necessary in terms of bone growth ad development which made me realize the importance of them! Good job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Robert! I tried to make it easy to understand and focus on in-depth in future blog posts. If you have any questions or comments feel free to add anytime!
DeleteGreat thoughts and comments on this blog post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Professor!
Delete