Hi! I have a question. Please pardon my ignorance. Are fats from food interchangeable with omega 3 fatty acids? I read that fats are broken down by the body and turned into fatty acids. So if you just consumed omega 3 fatty acids, would that work as a substitute for daily fat intake?
Omega 3 and 6 or 9 and others aren’t interchangeable.
Fats divided into saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Usually saturated ones (bad and solid at room temperature) usually found in butter and animal fat; unsaturated ones (good and liquid at room temperature) found in plant oils. Fats are made up of fatty acids; for unsaturated ones are the omega 3 and 6 and 9.
But unsaturated ones easily go rancid, and if they were heated, they turn to bad fats (like margarine). For normal cooking or stir frying, you can go for mixed oil (like canola + sunflower). For salads (without heat), you may go for virgin olive oil.
You only really need Omega 6 & 3 but other fats can still benefit your health and functioning. If you’re aiming for more than 10-15% of your calories in fats (It’s okay to go all the way up to 35% or more on certain diets) - you definitely shouldn’t take them all in essential fats. The requirements for those are quite low and too much can become unhealthy. The majority of your fats should ideally be monounstaurated, abundant in olive oil, hazelnuts and macadamia, for example. Some saturated fats from animal products (or cocoa\coconut) is also okay but personally I wouldn’t go overboard.