Can someone please explain to me the difference/connection between essential fatty acids, omega 3 and 6, gamma linolenic acid, linoleic acid, poly- and mono-unsaturates - the more I read the more I am confused. Thank you!

Hope this helps
Basics of essential fatty acids - Omega-3 fatty acid ALA and omega-6 fatty acid LA (http://www.007b.com/essential_fatty_acids.php)

Fats 101: How to tell Good Fats and Bad Fats (http://www.healthcastle.com/goodfats-badfats.shtml)

The good fats are olive oil, sesame oil, grape seed oil,
The bad fats are the ones with the crisco and wesson -canola, vegetable, corn

Margarine and shortening are bad.
Coconut shortening is good.

Thanks for your answer - I'm afraid it didn't help really. I have here a jar of fish oil full of EPA and DHA, and borage (starflower) oil full of Linoleic Acid and Gamma Linolenic Acid. I was wondering what the difference was...
Thank you!

Both are very good for you
The first one seems to be more omega 3
And the other omega 6

Difference Between Omega 3 and Omega 6 - Muscle&Strength.com (http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/difference-between-omega3-and-omega6.html)

Borage Oil/GLA (http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/boageoilgla.html)
The gamma linolenic acid is an omega 6

Fat is a molecule with a glycerol backbone and up to three fatty acid chains sticking of it. In the body these chains get cleaved of and are processed.

The chemical difference is between the length of the chains and the degree of saturation.
Fat chains are long molecules of carbon with hydrogen's sticking out the side. Sometimes they have all the hydrogens the can have and they are saturated. These chains are very straight and fit together snuggly. These are your 'bad' fats.

Sometimes the bonds between the carbons are double and there are less hydrogens. These chains are kinky (in the natural conformation) and don't stack properly these form the less dense 'good' fats. Mono unsaturated fatty acids only have one kink whilst poly have more.

Some fatty acids cannot be made in the body as we don't have the machinery these are essential fatty acids. They are still required for some cellular processes such as membrane structure and signalling molecules such as hormones so we need them in our diets. NoHelp4u has covered the foodstuffs to get them in already ;)

Trans fats are manmade and usually in fast food for various technical and production ease reasons. They are unsaturated but the way the carbons are bonded together makes the chain straight and really ridged. It is best never to eat these.


Even if you don't read this check out the pictures to see what I'm talking about.
Fatty acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid)

Thanks both of you - that was helpful. These days you seem to have to be an expert just to eat!
Although, I just read about a new book, ‘Unhappy Meals’ by Michael Pollan. His rule is: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
The clue is in correctly defining ‘food’... See New York Times article at Unhappy Meals - Michael Pollan - New York Times (http://tinyurl.com/2evb6g).
Much appreciated! Annemieke W.

What an alternative doctor told me that works for me... if God/nature made it it is more likely good, if man altered/processed it it is not good.

Essential fatty acids are the good fats, EFA are the necessary fats humans can't synthesize and most get through foods, like omegas 3 and 6.
Alpaha linolenic acids is the principal omega 3,
These are found in flax seed, walnuts, dark green leavy veggies, canola oil, soybean oil, mackrel, anchovies, salmon, wheat germ and spinach as well as greens.
Poly and mon unsaturated fats, mono are fats like olive, nuts, canola and avacodo, poly unsaturated are corn, safflower and sesame oils. Mono and poly fats so not raise the blood cholestrol levels.