Omega 3
Important nutritionally essential n-3 fatty acids are: a-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), anddocosahexaenoic acid (DHA), all of which are polyunsaturated. The human body cannot synthesize n-3 fatty acids de novo (Latin “from the beginning” or anew), but it can form 20-carbon unsaturated n-3 fatty acids (like EPA) and 22-carbon unsaturated n-3 fatty acids (like DHA) from the eighteen-carbon n-3 fatty acid a-linolenic acid. The importance of omega-3 fatty acids to health has received increasing awareness with benefits as an anti-infammatory, benefit to cardiovascular, neurological and immune function.

Omega 6
Omega-6 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids (EFAs). They are essential to human health but cannot be made in the body. Together, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. EFAs belong to the class of fatty acids called polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). There are several different types of omega-6 fatty acids. Most omega-6 fatty acids are consumed in the diet from vegetable oils as linoleic acid (LA). Be careful not to confuse this with alpha-linolenic acid [ALA] which is an omega-3 fatty acid. Linoleic acid is converted to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in the body and then further broken down to arachidonic acid (AA). AA can also be consumed directly from meat, and GLA can be ingested from several plant-based oils including evening primrose oil (EPO), borage oil, and black currant seed oil. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are not interchangeable, and humans must consume both.