Answer
Essential fatty acids are the fatty acids that we cannot synthesize in our bodies and must therefore obtain from our foods.
The essential fatty acids, by most accounts are arachidonic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid.
Work Step by Step
In a typical western diet linoleic acid supplies 6% of the calories. As long as 1-2% of our energy comes from this source we show no nutritional deficiency symptoms
Two other fatty acids that are some time included in the class of essential fatty acids are eicosapentanoic acid and decosahexanoic acid.
