Omega 6 Fatty Acids And Your Health

Omega 6 fatty acids are the cornerstone to any healthy body. Linoleic acid is found is the acai berry, black currant seed oils, pine and pistachio nuts, sunflower oil, and processed foods we buy off the shelf. Other supplemental oils to use are borage and evening primrose oil which may contain up to 26% of the required daily amount. LA has two double bonds, the first one occuring at the 6th carbon atom. It looks like a caterpillar bent in two locations. One of the most important properties of EFA's is they contain an electrostatic force generated by the two active double bonds which will assist cellular communication by electrical impulse. EFA's are also present in many of the organelles (small organs) within a cell. They include:

golgi apparatus
endoplasmic reticulum
mitochondria
nucleolus
nucleus

While America usually consumes this fatty acid building block, we may still lack the metabolic mechanism needed to create intermediary and end result fatty acids. See, omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids (alpha linolenic and linoleic fatty acids) are the entry point for other beneficial fats to be synthesized in our body. We simply start with LA and LNA and other precursors generated through desaturation and elongation to produce DGLA, AA, and EPA. The end product of these fats is used in the production of stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 prostaglandins which will orchestrate cellular division, regulate hormones, and control virtually every human function starting at the cellular level.

Unfortunately, certain external variables will alter the effectiveness of the process to complete successfully. Things like pollution, excessive stress, aging, diets high in refined sugar and trans fats like margarine, and alcohol consumption will impede the production of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), GLA (gamma linolenic acid), and AA (arachidonic acid).

Here's a list of some common symptoms linked to omega6 deficiency:

  • eczema
  • hair loss
  • sterility in males
  • arthritis
  • heart and circulatory problems
  • liver degeneration
  • wound healing inability
  • behavioral problems
  • prone to infections




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