ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACIDS (EFA) - ROLE IN PANCREATIC HORMONE-RELEASE AND CONCOMITANT METABOLIC EFFECT

Certain fatty acids have been identified as essential fatty acids (EFA) because they cannot be made by mammalian tissues and have to be obtained from plant and marine dietary sources. These fatty acids are the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), linoleic acid (18:2, omega 6), and linolenic acid (18.3, omega 3). Apart from the fact that they can be elongated and desaturated to yield bioactive molecules with longer chains and higher double bonds such as arachidonic acid (from linoleate) and eicosanoids (from both fatty acids), they are very easily oxidized in the presence of oxygen to provide metabolic energy. Recent studies have also shown that PUFA are potent insulin secretagogues. In this review article, an attempt has been made to evaluate these new data and to discuss their potential usefulness in nutritional support.