by Jess Shanahan

Created on: September 03, 2009

People hear the word fat and shy away, essential fatty acids are the good fats (hence the word essential,) the ones that will lower cholesterol rather than clogging up your heart. It is important that we get these in our diet as they are not produced within the body.

What EFAs do?

They have a number of benefit around the body, the strengthen bones, keep skin and hair looking healthy (and the same goes for coat and eyes on your pets, even they need these nutrients. Most natural supplements such as Emu Oil are safe to be taken by your pet but consult with your supplier first.) They can help keep joints healthy and have shown great improvement in the mobility of arthritis patients. Also they can help memory and concentration meaning they can help disorders such as ADD and bi-polar disorder.

EFA Deficiency

This comes about from not getting enough essential fatty acids in your diet, there are many symptoms including the following:

Dry hair Dry skin Brittle nails Short attention span Depression Excessive thirst

Where to get EFAs

As previously mentioned we need to get essential fatty acids from our diet, we do not produce the important Omega 3 and 6 in our bodies so the nutrients must be obtained through what we eat. EFAs can be found in:

Nuts Fish Flax Seeds Pumpkin Seeds

You can also get EFAs from oils such as Emu Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Flax Seed Oil and Hemp Oil. Using these oils in cooking or taking them as supplements can greatly up your Omega 3 and 6 intake which improves your all round health.

Choosing a Supplement

If you find that you don't like food with EFAs in or just aren't getting enough then supplements may be your way forward. They are a simple way towards getting a balanced diet. Some supplements combine EFAs with other ingredients to help combat a number of symptoms. For example some may contain glucosamine to help with joint pain and the symptoms associated with arthritis. Flax seed oil supplements may appeal more to vegetarians who do not want to use an animal product. Emu Oil supplements are good if one needs to get a wide range of fatty acids as it contains Omega 3, 6 and 9.

Do your research

The oils are usually poorly standardised leading to differences in potency depending on the brand. Take a look at the ingredients in your supplement; ones like Emu Oil should be 100% pure. Some may have other ingredients such as vitamin a or glucosamine but the oil should always be pure. Compare a few different supplements if you are unsure it will tell you have many milligrams of the EFAs there are in them, try and chose the one with the highest concentrate and stick to the dosage instructions.

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