Benefits of Essential Fatty Acids

Contrary to popular myth, the body truly needs fat. Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are the basic building blocks of which fats and oils are composed. It must be the right kind, however, the fatty acids that are necessary for health and that cannot be made by the body are called essential fatty acids or EFAs. They must be supplied through proper diet.

There are two basic categories of essential fatty acids, designated Omega-3 and Omega-6, based on their chemical structures. Omega-3 EFAs, including alpha-linolenic and eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA, are found in fresh deepwater fish, fish oil, and certain vegetable oils, among them canola oil, flaxseed oil, and walnut oil. Omega-6 EFAs, which include linoleic and gamma-linolenic acids, are found primarily in raw nuts, seeds, legumes, and unsaturated vegetable oils, such as borage oil, grape seed oil, primrose oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil. In order to supply essential fatty acids, these oils must be consumed in pure liquid or supplement form and must not be subjected to heat, either in processing or cooking. Heat and light destroy essential fatty acids. Worse, heat and light result in the creation of dangerous free radicals. If oils are hydrogenated, processed to make the oil more solid, as is done in the production of margarine, the linoleic acid is converted into trans-fatty acids, which are not beneficial to the body.

Essential Fatty Acids have desirable effects on many disorders. They are beneficial for candidiasis, cardiovascular disease, eczema, and psoriasis. Found in high concentrations in the brain, EFAs aid in the transmission of nerve impulses and are needed for normal development and functioning of the brain. A deficiency of essential fatty acids can lead to an impaired ability to learn and recall information. Every living cell in the body needs essential fatty acids. They are essential for rebuilding and producing new cells. Essential fatty acids are also consumed by the body for the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that act as chemical messengers and regulators of various body processes. They improve the skin and hair, reduce blood pressure, aid in the prevention of arthritis, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and reduce the risk of blood clot formation.

Traditionally DHA oil is obtained from fish. Unfortunately there is no body of water that is free from pollution. Fish contain high levels of toxic materials like mercury. Divine Nature has chosen to take a different direction. Divine Nature derives its DHA oil from micro-algae grown in controlled vats. It yields contaminate free DHA, and it is vegan safe. This is the source for Divine Nature’s Essential Fatty Acids’ DHA.

Divine Nature’s Essential Fatty Acids is a unique blend of stabilized oils entirely from plant sources in order to avoid all of the heavy metal toxins like mercury and PCBs found in fish oils.

Want to find out more about essential fatty acids foods? Visit Divine Nature’s site on how to choose the best omega 3 fatty acids supplements for your needs.