Essential Fatty Acids are fatty acids that
humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good
health but cannot synthesize them. The term "essential fatty acid" refers to
fatty acids required for biological processes but does not include the fats that
only act as fuel. Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans:
alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty
acid). Some other fatty acids are sometimes classified as "conditionally
essential," meaning that they can become essential under some developmental or
disease conditions; examples include docosahexaenoic acid (an omega-3 fatty
acid) and gamma-linolenic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid).