Essential fatty acid

Learn more

 * Essential Fatty-Acids-Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center

Essential fatty acids are needed for healthy functioning but cannot be made from other molecules in the body (many other nutrients can be built out of other molecules). However, they can usually be supplied through the diet.

Essential fatty acids have double bonds between adjacent carbon atoms :C=C: which are destroyed during hydrogenation, so hydrogenated oils lack important EFOs. Animal fats naturally are low in such bonds and also lack important EFOs.

Linole