Please refer to the discussion of this topic in the Treatments section. This knowledge will help you decide what you should do as you read about “Essential Fatty Acids” there.
Signs, symptoms & indicators of EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) Requirement
Being helped by aspirin
Fatty food craving
(No) ear wax problem
Sun-induced headaches
Leg cramps caused by walking
Tightness across shoulders
Brittle fingernails
Thin/thick cracked heel calluses
Conditions that suggest EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) Requirement
Poor/Slow Wound Healing
Failure to provide either omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids in the diet results in poor wound healing.
Chronic Inflammation
In order to maintain proper balance of the antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory prostaglandins (PGE1 and PGE3) with the pro-spasmodic and pro-inflammatory prostaglandins (PGE2), it is critical to have the proper balance of essential fatty acids.
Without adequate amounts of both Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils in the diet, prostaglandin production will be reduced and problems may result.
Dandruff
A diet low in essential fatty acids can result in skin problems, such as dandruff.
Male Hair Loss
Essential fatty acid deficiency can results in dry, brittle hair and hair thinning or loss.
Female Hair Loss
Essential fatty acid deficiency can results in dry, brittle hair and hair thinning or loss.
Fibrocystic Breasts
Fatty acid profiles may be abnormal in women with fibrocystic breast disease. Treatment with essential fatty acids may help to normalize this. [Plasma fatty acid profiles in benign breast disorders. Br J Surg, 1992 May, 79:5, pp.407-9]
Risk factors for EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) Requirement
(Borderline) high LDL
Many studies have shown that supplementing the diet with fish oils enriched in omega-3 fats EPA and DHA tend to reduce triglycerides and increase HDL (good) cholesterol concentrations. However, studies have gotten mixed results regarding its effect on LDL (bad) cholesterol and few studies have examined the effects of adding fat supplement GLA to omega-3 fat supplements.
In a study involving 31 women, researchers compared the effects of EPA and DHA supplementation (4 grams) by itself to that of EPA and DHA with GLA supplementation (1 or 2 grams). The combination of EPA, DHA and GLA tended to reduce LDL cholesterol by about 12%.
A combination of a 4:2 ratio of the supplements (4gm EPA and DHA, 2gm GLA) resulted in an average of a 15% decrease in non-HDL cholesterol concentrations, which translates to an over 40% decrease in heart disease risk. [American Journal Clinical Nutrition January 2003;77:37-42]
(High) hydrogenated fat consumption
Counter Indicators
Using olive oil or minor olive oil use
Low/moderate/high Omega-3 oil intake
High/moderate/low cold water fish consumption
History of adult acne
EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) Requirement can lead to
Poor/Slow Wound Healing
Failure to provide either omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids in the diet results in poor wound healing.
Recommendations for EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) Requirement
Key
| Weak or unproven link |
| Strong or generally accepted link |
| Proven definite or direct link |
| Strongly counter-indicative |
| Very strongly or absolutely counter-indicative |
| Likely to help |
| Highly recommended |
Glossary
Essential Fatty Acid
(EFA): A substance that the human body cannot manufacture and therefore must be supplied in the diet.
Fatty Acids
Chemical chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are part of a fat (lipid) and are the major component of triglycerides. Depending on the number and arrangement of these atoms, fatty acids are classified as either saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated. They are nutritional substances found in nature which include cholesterol, prostaglandins, and stearic, palmitic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosapentanoic (EPA), and decohexanoic acids. Important nutritional lipids include lecithin, choline, gamma-linoleic acid, and inositol.
Antispasmodic
Preventing spasms.
Prostaglandin
Any of a class of physiologically active substances present in many tissues, with effects such as vasodilation, vasoconstriction, stimulation of the smooth muscles of the bronchus or intestine, uterine stimulation; also involved in pain, inflammation, fever, allergic diarrhea, and dysmenorrhea. A potent hormone -- similar in structure to an unsaturated fatty acid -- that acts in extremely low concentrations on local target organs; first isolated from the prostate.
Benign
Literally: innocent; not malignant. Often used to refer to cells that are not cancerous.
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency. Also: Eicosapentanoic Acid. A metabolite of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.
DHA
Docosahexanoic Acid. A metabolite of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.
Triglyceride
The main form of fat found in foods and the human body. Containing three fatty acids and one unit of glycerol, triglycerides are stored in adipose cells in the body, which, when broken down, release fatty acids into the blood. Triglycerides are fat storage molecules and are the major lipid component of the diet.
High-Density Lipoprotein
(HDL): Also known as "good" cholesterol, HDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles that circulate in the blood picking up already used and unused cholesterol and taking them back to the liver as part of a recycling process. Higher levels of HDLs are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease because the cholesterol is cleared more readily from the blood.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Low-Density Lipoprotein
(LDL): Also known as "bad" cholesterol, LDLs are large, dense, protein-fat particles composed of a moderate proportion of protein and a high proportion of cholesterol. Higher levels of LDLs are associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
GLA
Gamma-linolenic Acid is a downline metabolite of linoleic acid, an Omega 6 oil.
Gram
(gm): A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.