Polyunsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated Fat

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) contain two or more double bonds between carbon atoms and may be of two types depending on the position of the first double bond, omega 6 (n-6) and omega 3 (n-3).

The n refers to the position of the carbon atom where the first double bond appears starting from the methyl (CH3) end of the fatty acid. The primary omega 6 (n-6) PUFAs are linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, and the primary omega 3 (n-3) PUFAs include alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) fatty acids.

These fatty acids are liquid at room temperature however unlike MUFAs, PUFAs continue to stay a liquid when cooled or refrigerated. Good sources include oily fish (particularly EPA and DHA) and vegetable oils. PUFAs play an important role in growth, reproduction, vision, in maintaining healthy skin and cell structure, in the metabolism of cholesterol and in regulating genes.