ALA converted to EPA

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fyi:

American Heart Association, Inc.

Volume 108(2) 15 July 2003 pp 155-160

Habitual Dietary Intake of n-3 and n-6 Fatty Acids in Relation to Inflammatory Markers Among US Men and Women

"EPA and DHA are much more effective than ALA in altering membrane composition and eicosanoid production, and it was recently estimated that in humans, only 0.2% of plasma ALA is converted to EPA. 35,36 The conversion rate of LA to arachidonic acid is also very low 37; however, because of the much higher intake, we speculate that LA still affects arachidonic acid concentrations, whereas ALA, because of its low intake and low conversion rate, has no substantial effect on EPA levels, and thus on inflammation, in the present study population."

35. Whelan J, Broughton KS, Kinsella JE. The comparative effects of dietary alpha-linolenic acid and fish oil on 4- and 5-series leukotriene formation in vivo. Lipids. 1991; 26: 119–126

36. Pawlosky RJ, Hibbeln JR, Novotny JA, et al. Physiological compartmental analysis of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism in adult humans. J Lipid Res. 2001; 42: 1257–1265.

37. Emken EA, Adlof RO, Gulley RM. Dietary linoleic acid influences desaturation and acylation of deuterium-labeled linoleic and linolenic acids in young adult males. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1994; 1213: 277–288.

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