After all, we are constantly being told to consume less fat or not to increase our consumption of polyunsaturated fats further. The food supplement shelves of the pharmacy reveal a plethora of fatty acid supplements which suggests that some people may be deficient. If an individual is not a good converter of EFAs to LCPs, they will have a problem. There are diet and lifestyle factors which slow EFA conversion. Stress hormones slow the conversion so many people today are at risk of LCP deficiency.
Conversion is slow in diabetes, eczema, viral infections and liver disease.
Recent research indicates that EFA metabolism is defective in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, schizophrenia and possibly autism. Common features of EFA deficiency are excessive thirst, rough and dry skin, vulnerability to infection, frequent ear infections and antibiotic use. In prolonged deficiency from a young age, animal studies indicate there are changes in behaviour and learning ability. It is not surprising that pregnancy puts huge demands on the mother's supply of LCPs to the foetus. In multiple pregnancies the demands are even greater.