Essential Fats: Omega 3, 6 and 9 Explained
Only two fats are genuinely essential to human nutrition. Here is what that word actually means, and why it matters.
What "essential" really means
In nutrition, "essential" is not a marketing word. It has a precise meaning: your body cannot make the substance, so it has to come from your diet.
Only two fatty acids meet that definition:
- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) — an omega-3
- Linoleic acid (LA) — an omega-6
Every other fat your body needs, it can build from these two or from other raw materials. Omega-9 — oleic acid — is a useful fat, but it is not essential in this sense, because the body can synthesise it.
Plants are the original source of both. Animal foods can contain ALA and LA, but the animals obtained them from plants in the first place. That is why seeds and the oils pressed from them are the most concentrated dietary sources.
The fish oil misconception
Fish oil is often described as the superior form of omega-3. It is worth understanding why that is not quite the right way round.
Fish oils supply EPA and DHA — the long-chain omega-3s — ready-made. Plant oils supply ALA, which is the essential omega-3: the one the body cannot manufacture at all and must obtain from food.
EPA and DHA are different. Your body converts ALA into EPA and DHA as it requires them. They do not have to be eaten directly, which is precisely why they are not classed as essential and ALA is. Conversion rates vary between individuals and are influenced by overall diet.
So the two are not competing versions of the same nutrient. One supplies the raw material your body cannot make; the other supplies a downstream product your body can make. Many people take both. And for anyone eating a plant-based diet, a plant oil is not a compromise — it is the only route to omega-3 at all.
Where they sit in the body
ALA and LA are structural. They are incorporated into cell membranes throughout the body, which is why they are needed continuously rather than occasionally, and why a shortfall is not something a single meal corrects.
What can be claimed, and what cannot
A great deal is written about essential fats. Under UK law, only a small number of statements about them are authorised, and we would rather show you those than talk around them.
The authorised claims are:
- Alpha-linolenic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 2g of ALA.
- Linoleic acid contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 10g of LA.
- Essential fatty acids are needed for normal growth and development of children. This effect is obtained with a daily intake of 2g of ALA and 10g of LA.
Those intake figures are part of the claim, not small print. They are the amounts the evidence was assessed against, which makes them the only honest way to judge whether a product delivers.
The ratio question
Both ALA and LA are essential, and Western diets tend to supply far more omega-6 than omega-3 — largely because refined vegetable oils used in processed food are omega-6 dominant, while omega-3 sources are eaten less often.
Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil Blend is formulated to a 2:1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6: 38g of ALA against 19g of LA per 100ml. Flax supplies the omega-3; sunflower and sesame bring the omega-6 and omega-9. That ratio is the reason the blend exists rather than a single-seed oil.
Why unrefined oil needs looking after
The same chemistry that makes these fats useful makes them fragile. Polyunsaturated fatty acids degrade on contact with light, heat and oxygen.
Which is why Ultimate Oil Blend arrives in amber glass, is refrigerated in storage, and carries one firm instruction: do not heat it. Add it to food after cooking — over vegetables, stirred through soup off the heat, into a smoothie, or as the oil in a dressing. Never into a hot pan.
Oil or capsules?
Both contain the same cold-pressed organic blend. The difference is quantity.
| 30ml oil (2 tbsp) | 2 capsules | |
|---|---|---|
| Omega-3 (ALA) | 11g | 0.8g |
| Omega-6 (LA) | 5.8g | 0.4g |
| Refrigeration | Required after opening | Not needed |
| Taste | Noticeable | None |
A single 30ml serving of the oil provides 11g of ALA — over five times the 2g associated with the cholesterol claim. The capsules are the portable, unrefrigerated, tasteless version, and are high in omega-3 fatty acids at the standard two-capsule serving.
Common questions
Is omega-9 essential?
No. The body can make oleic acid for itself. Only ALA and LA cannot be made and must come from food.
Isn't fish oil a better form of omega-3?
It is a different one. Fish oil supplies EPA and DHA directly; plant oil supplies ALA, which your body converts into EPA and DHA as it needs them. ALA is the essential one, because it is the only omega-3 the body cannot make. It is also the only option for anyone eating a plant-based diet.
Can I get enough from food alone?
ALA and LA are present in seeds, nuts and the oils pressed from them. Whether any individual diet supplies enough depends entirely on what is in it.
Why can't I cook with the oil?
Heat damages the fatty acids the oil exists to deliver. Add it after cooking.
Can I take a plant oil and a fish oil together?
Yes. They supply different things.
Browse the Udo's Choice omega range →
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet or a healthy lifestyle.