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Essential Fatty Acids
- Our bodies dop not manufacture some fatty acids which are necessary for continued good health, so we must ingest them as a part of our diet (WHO) 1990).
- These are given the term 'essential ' because they are so important, and there are two of them - Linoleic acid and linolenic acid.
- The essential fatty acids resemble, and complement, naturally occurring prostaglandis in the body which regulate blood pressure, increase blood flow top the organs and help reduce blood clots.
- Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a precursor of Prostagladin E! (PGEI), a hormone-line substance, and so the use of oils rich in bonded GLA is advantageous to people whose bodies do not produce sufficient of this material. A deficiency in these acids results in ill health and poor vision.
- Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a precursor of Prostagladin E (PGEI), a hormone-line substance, and so the use of oils rich in bonded GLA is advantageous to people whose bodies do not produce sufficient of this material. A deficiency in these acids results in ill health and poor vision.
- Linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid are essential fatty acids, Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is produced in the human body from linoleic acid. Prostaglandins have many functions including growth, cell structure and metabolism.
- Combined Fatty Acids Found in Vegetable oils- Many of the carrier oils used in aromatherapy are based on important fatty acids found in combination with glycerol:
Common Fatty Acids Found in Vegetable Oils
Alpha-linolenic acid | Olive oil, rose hip, sunflower, wheatgerm |
Gamma-linolenic acid | Evening primrose, borage |
Linolenic acid | Eprimrose, grapeseed, sunflower safflower |
Linolenic acid | Avocado, evening primrose, grapeseed oil, olive, rose hip, sesame, safflower, sunflower, wheatgerm |
Myristic acid | Grapeseed, Jojoba |
Oleic acid | Grapeseed oil,olive, rose hip,safflower. sunflower |
Palmitic acid | Grapeseed, safflower, olice, sunflower |
Stearic acid |
Gapeseed, safflower, sunflower |
- Reference:Carrier Oils For Aromatherapy & Massage : Len Price and Ian Smith & Shirley Price