Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
An omega−3 fatty acid is a fatty acid with multiple double bonds, where the first double bond is between the third and fourth carbon atoms from the end of the carbon atom chain. "Short-chain" omega−3 fatty acids have a chain of 18 carbon atoms or less, while "long-chain" omega−3 fatty acids have a chain of 20 or more.
Mammals are unable to synthesize omega−3 fatty acids, but can obtain the shorter-chain omega−3 fatty acid ALA (18 carbons and 3 double bonds) through diet and use it to form the more important long-chain omega−3 fatty acids, EPA (20 carbons and 5 double bonds) and then from EPA, the most crucial, DHA (22 carbons and 6 double bonds). [2]
Deficiency in omega−3 fatty acids are very common. The average American has a dietary ratio between omega−6 fatty acids and omega−3 fatty acids of 20:1. When the two EFAs were discovered in 1923, they were designated "vitamin F", but in 1929, research on rats showed that the two EFAs are better classified as fats rather than vitamins. [8]
Intake of large doses (2.0 to 4.0 g/day) of long-chain omega−3 fatty acids as prescription drugs or dietary supplements are generally required to achieve significant (> 15%) lowering of triglycerides, and at those doses the effects can be significant (from 20% to 35% and even up to 45% in individuals with levels greater than 500 mg/dL).
It is formed by a desaturation of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA, 20:3 ω-6). all-cis-8,11,14,17-eicosatetraenoic acid is an ω-3 fatty acid. It is an intermediate between stearidonic acid (18:4 ω-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 ω-3) Some chemistry sources define 'arachadonic acid' to designate any of the eicosatetraenoic acids.
It is an ester formed from omega-6-arachidonic acid (AA: C 20 H 32 O 2; 20:4-n6) and glycerol (C 3 H 8 O 3). [ 12 ] Vertebrates are unable to synthesize polyunsaturated fatty acids because they do not have the necessary fatty acid desaturases to "convert oleic acid (18:1 n -9) into linoleic acid (18:2 n -6) and α-linolenic acid (18:3 n -3)". [ 7 ]
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
To illustrate the amounts of EPA and DHA in supplements, a softgel capsule containing fish oil derived from pollock might contain a total of 642 mg of total fish oil, of which 584 mg are omega−3 fatty acids, with 377 mg EPA and 158 mg DHA. 3 That same company's salmon oil softgel contains 1008 mg of total fish oil, of which 295 mg are omega ...