Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that cannot be constructed from other components by any known chemical pathways, and therefore must be obtained from the diet. There are two families of EFAs: ω-3 (or omega-3 or n−3) and ω-6 (omega-6, n−6). Fats from each of these families are essential, as the body can convert one omega-3 to another omega-3, for example, but cannot create an omega-3 from omega-6 or saturated fats.
