Your brain is largely made of fat — and the type of fat you eat directly shapes how it develops and functions. From foetal brain development to Alzheimer’s disease, essential fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) play a critical role at every stage of life. Here’s what the science tells us.

From birth through adolescence, the fats children eat shape far more than their waistlines — they influence brain development, immune function, gene expression, and lifelong health. Discover why essential fatty acids like DHA, AA, and ALA are critically important in early life, and what the latest FAO guidelines recommend for infants and children.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), a type of essential fatty acid, are abundant in the retina and are essential for its proper function.

Your skin is your body's largest organ — and what you eat directly affects how well it functions. Discover the science behind omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, why linoleic acid is critical for your skin's barrier, and how hemp seed oil has been shown to reduce dryness, itchiness, and inflammatory skin conditions like eczema.

Your immune system never clocks off — and the fats you eat play a bigger role in supporting it than you might think. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential building blocks for eicosanoids, the signalling molecules that regulate inflammation and immune cell activity. Discover how these two essential fatty acids work together — and why getting enough of both matters for a resilient immune system.

Not all fats are created equal — and when it comes to heart health, the type of fat you eat matters far more than the total amount. From landmark studies like the Framingham Heart Study to Harvard’s own research, the evidence is clear: polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) — omega-3 and omega-6 — play a vital role in reducing cardiovascular risk. Here’s what the science says.

Every one of your 37 trillion cells is wrapped in a membrane that controls what gets in, what stays out, and how your cells communicate. And the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are critical to keeping that membrane fluid and functional. Without them, your cells simply can’t do their job.