Description
The influence of what we eat has the potential to considerably affect physical functions and body metabolism. This becomes even more important when it comes to substances that the body needs but cannot synthesize by itself. Omega 3 fatty acids represent a very good example of that. They are important constituents of human lipid metabolism, and they play an important role in the human physiology. Omega−3 fatty acids involved in human physiology are α‐linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
However, these Omega 3 fatty acids cannot be produced by humans therefore diet rich in them is so important. More specifically, human body is able to obtain EPA and DHA only if supplied via diet or they can be synthetized from ingested ALA, in a limited way, if ALA is part of the diet. The ability to make Omega 3 fatty acids such as DHA from ALA may be impaired with aging (1), while e.g. DHA is important for our health because:
