Nutriential Hazards: Macronutrients: Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required for proper functioning of many physiological systems. The term ‘essential’ is used to denote this subset of fatty acids due to the inability of humans to synthesize them endogenously. Thus, their consumption is required from dietary sources in order to meet biological demands. These EFAs are linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. These fatty acids on digestion serve as building blocks and can be converted into other longer-chained fatty acids and mediators that regulate biological processes. The nutritional status of maintaining adequate intake levels of EFAs makes them vitally important toward human health.