Also known as essential acids, because our bodies need them, but cannot produce them internally, fatty acids are closely related to the Vitamin F complex and play an important role in maintaining a healthy body.

Contrary to what many people believe, these substances formed by extended chains of molecules are not the same as fats, though they are indeed present in some oils and other fatty foods. They are divided into two categories, saturated or unsaturated, mainly as a function of whether they are of animal or vegetable origin.

Saturated fatty acids are so-called because all the orbits of the carbon atoms are occupied (i.e. saturated). They are found mainly in animal fats and also in coconut and palm oils. They tend to turn up in significant quantities in red meats, cured cheeses, cold cuts, pork products, bouillon cubes, butter, margarine, cream, air-cured sausages, ice cream, egg yolks, and factory-made pastries. These you do have to be careful with, as eating too many of them and leading a sedentary lifestyle is a sure-fire recipe for obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular problems.

On the other hand, the unsaturated fatty acid group represents a much healthier option. They are classified according to them molecular structure into two sub-groups. First are the monounsaturated fatty acids, obtained mainly from olive, soya, rapeseed, sunflower and corn oil, as well as from nuts, pulses, avocados, green vegetables, wholegrain breads and olives. Polyunsaturated oils are found in red meat and poultry, oily blue fish, and a few vegetable products such as nuts and beans. Among the healthiest of this latter group we might cite oleic linoleic, gammalinolenic, aracahidonic, alphalinoleic, eicosapentanoic acids and the Omega 3 group.�

According to the World Health Organization, at least 3% of an adult's total kilocalorie intake should consist of essential fatty acids. For breast-fed babies, children and nursing mothers, that figure rises to 5%. To understand why these are so important, you might want to bear in mind that about 60% of brain tissue consists of fats, and a very substantial percentage of these are in the form of essential fatty acids.

They have also been shown to be absolutely fundamental in ensuring the proper growth and development of the brain and central nervous system. In addition to providing the body with energy, they also help to regulate its temperature and protect its tissues. Essential fatty acids form part of each and every cell in our body and are of vital importance in metabolic functions. But perhaps their most intriguing property is that these have been shown to be the precursor substances of what many scientists consider the most important of all short-lived molecules produced by the body: the prostaglandins.

And if all that were not plenty of a good thing, it may be noted that fatty acids help increase the resistance and flexibility of the body's cellular membranes and have proven especially effective on the lymphocytes. Experiments suggest that these latter tend to behave differently depending on whether the cell membrane is rigid or flexible, and this is largely a question of whether enough it has been receiving sufficient fatty acids in the body's food input.

Not enough fatty acids in the diet may lead to reproductive system problems (especially for males) and make it harder for cuts and wounds to heal. Further risk factors include infections, arthritis and problems with the heart and circulation.� A shortage of "good" fatty acids may cause brain disorders, dry skin, affect the functioning of the tear ducts and salivary glands, not to mention alterations in the functioning of the immune system.

The thing to keep in mind is that even if you are consuming enough of the "good" fatty acids, their beneficent effects can be neutralized or blacked if the organism is taking in too many saturated acids, cholesterol, or alcohol. Viral infections, exposure to radiation, cancer, a zinc deficiency and other illnesses such as diabetes will also counter their good properties before the fatty acids have had a chance to be metabolized.
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