You need to get essential fatty acids from your diet because your body cannot synthesize them. The essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid, or LA, is an omega-6 fat, and alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, are omega-3 fats. Find out which foods provide these healthy fats to make sure you get enough of them.
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed and flaxseed oil provide ALA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid that may improve your heart health. Flaxseed oil is a more concentrated source of ALA, with 7.3 grams per tablespoon compared to 1.6 g, or 100 percent of the daily value, in 1 tablespoon of flaxseed. Flaxseed oil does not provide the healthy phytochemicals, such as dietary fiber and lignans, which are in flaxseed. The Mayo Clinic recommends choosing ground flaxseed instead of whole because you can absorb it better.
Nuts and Seeds
You can get at least 5 g of LA from 1 ounce of nuts or seeds such as pine nuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that may reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. Along with LA, walnuts also provide ALA, with 2.6 g per ounce of English walnuts, and 0.6 g ALA in 1 ounce of black walnuts.
Vegetable Oils
Safflower oil, sunflower, corn and soybean oil are examples of oils that provide LA, and canola, walnut, soybean and mustard provide ALA, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend using unsaturated fats, such as from oils, instead of saturated fats, such as from butter. In addition, healthy fats provide vitamin E, an antioxidant. Although they are plant-based, coconut oil and palm oil are high in unhealthy saturated fats, so they are not good choices for meeting your essential fatty acid requirements.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish provide long-chain omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. Your body can only convert a small amount of ALA into the EPA and DHA that you need for optimum health, so DHA and EPA can be essential fatty acids in your diet, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Try to get about two 4-ounce servings each week of fatty fish or shellfish such as salmon, herring, oysters, shrimp or sardines.
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