Not all fats are bad. A group of essential fats from plants is downright important in maintaining and improving the healthy functions of your body. A newly-published Canadian study identified alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) as the omega fatty acids that reduce the risks of obesity and improve your resistance to high levels of glucose.
ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid while LA is an omega-6 fatty acid. These polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are obtained through eating food.
They are considered to be essential to the natural health of the body. Earlier research has shown that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids protect the brain from harm, regulate the immune system’s inflammatory response, and reduce the chances of heart disease.
The new study showed that alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid can regulate the expression of genes associated with the production of muscle proteins. Its findings were published ahead of print in Physiological Genomics. (Related: Fatty Acid Blood Tests Help Assess Risk for Heart Disease.)