Medical Term

essential fatty acid

also: essential fatty acids

there are three polyunsaturated acids in this category, which cannot be produced in the body - arachidonic, linoleic and linolenic. These compounds are found in vegetable and fish oils and are vital for the proper functioning of the METABOLISM . A deficiency may cause such symptoms as allergic conditions, skin disorders, poor hair and nails, and so on.

Source: mediLexicon corpus · slug essential-fatty-acid