Omega 3, Fatty Acids, Free (Nonester) – 081893

Plasma or serum NEFA is the portion of the total fatty acid pool that circulates in immediate readiness for metabolic needs. NEFA can be absorbed readily by muscle, heart, brain, and other organs as an energy source whenever insufficient quantities of glucose limit the usual carbohydrate energy source. In all probability, both glucose and NEFA are simultaneously taken up from the blood, even under normal conditions. When blood glucose levels are high, the NEFA level falls, and vice versa, emphasizing the reciprocal withdrawal of stored energy, under the simultaneous control of insulin and epinephrine. In acute starvation, the NEFA level may rise as much as three times the normal values.