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Omega 6 Fatty Acids
Omega 6 Fatty Acids
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Gamma-linolenic Acid
Gamma-linolenic Acid
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Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
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EPA and DHA
EPA and DHA
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CLA
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Royal Canin Australia Health Nutrition Nutrients Lipids Omega 3 Fatty Acids

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Omega 3 fatty acids

Due to their biological roles, omega 3 fatty acids are used in food for sporting dogs, ageing cats and dogs, and animals suffering from chronic inflammatory disorders including osteoarthrosis, chronic renal failure, inflammatory diarrhoea, skin diseases.

A little background information

Omega 3 fatty acids form a specific family in the class of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This family is derived from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a fatty acid containing 18 carbon atoms and three double chemical bonds. Two other longer but very important fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are derived from ALA.

Its role in the body

The essential functions of omega 3 fatty acids make them interesting in many respects :

  • they are anti-inflammatory agents, inhibiting the synthesis of certain chemical inflammatory mediators
  • they improve brain oxygenation (especially in old animals) and enhance the performance of dogs active in sports
  • they enhance the learning capacity of puppies.

Natural sources

EPA and DHA are only found in concentrated form in fish oil (the actual concentration differs according to the fish) and in algae.

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