Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that the human body cannot synthesize on its own and must obtain from the diet. The two principal essential fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, which serve as precursors for longer-chain derivatives such…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 8 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 16× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2835-513X 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that the human body cannot synthesize on its own and must obtain from the diet. The two principal essential fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, which serve as precursors for longer-chain derivatives such as the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These molecules are vital components of cell membranes and serve as building blocks for signaling compounds that regulate inflammation, immune responses, and other processes. Essential fatty acids contribute to normal brain and nervous-system development, vision, skin integrity, and cardiovascular health, and an appropriate balance between omega-3 and omega-6 intake is considered important for well-being. Dietary sources include oily fish, certain seeds and nuts, and plant oils. Research published through the International Journal of Lipids and its companion titles engages with dietary fats and their effects, including a study of seafood and omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and an examination of wheat germ oil and its effect on the lipid profile in an experimental model. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access scholarship relevant to essential fatty acids and the broader study of dietary lipids and their role in health.

Research published in this journal

8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 8 articles above have been cited 16 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Essential Fatty Acids, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Lipids (ISSN 2835-513X).

Journal editorial board
Chih-Sheng Chu · Taiwan Anu Puri · United States Hiroshi Yoshida · Japan

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.