TREATMENT DATABASE
Essential fatty acids are fats (lipids) that are important in a number of physiological processes. They cannot be produced by the body and therefore must be obtained through dietary sources.
The two most important types of essential fatty acids are omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 fatty acids – alpha linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexanoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) – are found in fish oil (especially cold water fish) and flaxseed oil. Omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid, LA) are found in many plant oils, including evening primrose oil, borage oil, and black currant oil.
Essential fatty acids are vital to a number of physiological processes, such as regulating cholesterol levels, keeping the skin moist and supple, and producing prostaglandins (hormone-like substances that affect a variety of body functions). Essential fatty acids are also indispensable in maintaining the structure and function of cell membranes. Most important, essential fatty acids, particularly those found in fish oil, can act as immune system modulators, enhancing immune system activity where needed, and inhibiting it when there is an upregulated immune response.
USES IN ME/CFS: In 1987 Dr. Peter Behan, a professor of Clinical Neurology in Glasgow, Scotland, found that patients with CFS/ME have a disorder in fatty acid metabolism. Dr. Behan surmised that the disorder was the result of chronic viral infection much like mononucleosis, a prolonged illness that also produces abnormal serum fatty acid concentration. He conducted a double-blind trial using a fatty acid supplement (Efamol) containing both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 1990). After 16 weeks of treatment, an astounding 85% of patients showed marked improvement, primarily in the areas of fatigue, dizziness, headaches, depression, and muscle pain.
In 1994, Gray and Martinovic hypothesized that the chronic immune system activation found in ME/CFS patients results in hyporesponsiveness of essential fatty acid metabolites, which produces a state in which even minor stressors can disturb homeostasis. They tested their hypothesis by administering dietary essential fatty acids to a group of ME/CFS patients. After three months, 90% of the patients treated showed signs of improvement.
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