What is a fatty acid?
First up, let’s explain what we mean by fatty acids. These are the building blocks of the fats that we eat.
Essential fatty acids (EFA) are those fats that our body cannot produce and which are essential for our health. Therefore we need to consume them in our diet. There are 2 ‘parent’ categories of EFA’s:
- Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA): Broken down to the active form of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) these are also called Omega-3 fats
- Linoleic Acid(LA): Broken down to the active form of GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid) and AA (Arachadonic Acid) these are also called Omega-6 fats