Essential fatty acids health benefits

Fish oil has been one of the hottest topics in general nutrition and health care over the past few years, mainly because it is primarily composed of - fatty acids. The benefits of fish oil have a strong foundation in well-documented scientific studies, the most important ones dealing with the treatment of heart disease. Treatment of any condition associated with essential fatty acid changes inevitably involves the use of fish oil or more specific mixtures of the primary important essential fatty acids [14]. 

Although not produced by the human body, these Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are required for normal brain function, growth, development, bone health, stimulation of skin and hair growth, regulation of metabolism, and maintenance of reproductive processes (University of Maryland Medical Centre, 2008). The health benefit provided by PUFAs is dependent on the precise PUFA being taken. The health benefits of the fish derived PUFAs eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexanoic acid are well described (Sanderson et al., 2002). There is interest in... 

Omega-3 acids are considered essential to human health, but eannot be manufactured by the human body and must therefore be obtained from food. These acids are naturally present in most fishes and certain plant oils such as soybean and canola, which are foods that people rarely consume in large quantities. Moreover, the direct addition of omega-3 fatty acids to many foods is prevented due to some characteristics (fishy flavors, readily oxidized), which together reduce the sensory acceptability of foods containing fatty acids, limit shelf life, and potentially reduce the bioavailability of the acids. Encapsulation responds to the challenges of omega-3 fatty acid delivery and extends the reach of its health benefits. 

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2006) has approved a health claim for conventional canola oil that states canola is high in unsaturated fats and consnming 1.5 tablespoons of canola oil per day may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease . Potential health benefits of conventional canola oil are largely due to its relatively low levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA 1% of total fatty acids) and high amonnts of the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), oleic acid (OA 61% of total fatty acids Canola Council of Canada, 2008). Conventional canola oil is also a good source of two essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), linoleic acid (LA 21% of total fatty acids), an n-6 PUFA, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA 11% of total fatty acids), an n-3 PUFA. This composition of LA and ALA results in a low, 2 1 ratio of n-6 n-3. 

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