EFA’s, or essential fatty acids, are nutritional compounds that are necessary for our bodies to function properly. All fats have a role in our bodies, but EFA’s are unique because we can’t produce them and they must come from the foods we eat. There are two groups – the linoleic acid, or omega-6 group, and the alpha-linolenic acid, or omega-3 one.
We need both of these fatty acid groups to survive, but many people are deficient in them in the proper ratio. There is an imbalance towards the omega-6 group at the expense of omega-3, because vegetable oils provide a rich source of omega-6 acid. For many people, oil is the only source of fatty acid in the diet. Sunflower, corn, and soybean oil all contain a high percentage of omega-6 fatty acids and it would be prudent to minimize their use. Olive oil, high in oleic acid, and coconut oil, high in saturated fat, are very low in omega-6.
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