Fatty Acids

Fatty acids, or fats, are organic acids belonging to the carboxyl group and have either saturate or unsaturated aliphatic tails that tend to be long and unbranched. Fatty acids are derivatives of either triglycerides or phospholipids. Fatty acids occur as free as well as attached to other molecules. Fatty acids play a very important role in intracellular energy transfer as the fuel released as a result of their metabolism leads to the production of adenosine triphosphate which is the molecular equivalent of currency unit for such energy exchange. Naturally occurring fatty acids structure is characterized by the presence of an even number of carbon atoms which may be any even number between 4 and 28.

Types of Fatty Acids

Fatty acids can be either saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fatty acids are identified by the absence of the existence of double bonds between two carbon atoms in the fatty acid chain. This denotes that such as chain is saturated with hydrogen atoms, hence the name. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, are identified by the presence of at least one double bond between two carbon atoms in the fatty acid chain. Unsaturated fatty acids can occur in two forms - monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat is that form of unsaturated fatty acid which contains only one double bond between two individual carbon atoms whereas polyunsaturated fat is that form of unsaturated fatty acid in which there are more than one double bonds between two individual carbon atoms.

Fatty Acid Metabolism

As most of us are aware, metabolism is a combination of catabolic and anabolic processes. Fatty acids are catabolized in the krebs cycle or the citric acid cycle. This generates energy and releases primary metabolites that directly go into the physiological processes of growth, development and reproduction. Thereafter, the anabolic process takes place which build up essential molecules from the fatty acids that aid in the functions of various vital biological processes.

Essential Fatty Acids

The essential fatty acids are a group of those fatty acids which must be consumed by both humans and animals to maintain good health as these fatty acids cannot be manufactured naturally within our bodies. These essential fatty acids are required for the healthy functioning of many significant biological processes rather than as sources of fuel for intracellular energy exchange. The two most significant fatty acids that are identified as beneficial for human health are Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega-6 Fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acids family is constituted of three polyunsaturated fatty acids - α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. These Omega-3 fatty acids have a whole bunch of health benefits associated with their intake. These health benefits include prevention of heart disease, lowering of cholesterol and preventing accumulation of certain proteins in the body which are linked to Alzheimer's disease. An Omega-3 fatty acids foods list would include most oil seeds and fatty fish.

Omega-6 fatty acids are a group of 9 unsaturated fatty acids - linoleic acid, gamma-linoleninc acid, eicosadienoic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, docosadienoic acid, adrenic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and calendic acid - which are believed to provide relief for aches, pains, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS discomforts, endometriosis, fibrocysts in breasts, eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, diabetic neuropathy and certain cancers. An Omega-6 foods list would contain most oil seeds and nuts.

A lesser known essential fatty acid, Omega-9, is also believed to enhance the efficiency of certain biological functions. This essential fatty acid is found in abundance in almost all kinds of animal fat and vegetable oil. That was a simplified overview of fatty acids, their various types and forms along with a brief discussion on fatty acid metabolism and essential fatty acids. Hope this would help you understand the basics of what fatty acids are without entangling you in confusing scientific terminology.