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Glite Dictionary
alpha-linolenic acid

alpha-linolenic acid

1 6.7
A type of healthy fat that your body needs, found in plant oils like flaxseed and canola
  • noun
  • /ˌælfəˌlɪnəˈlɛnɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido alfa-linolénico
  • They are especially rich in the omega-3 fat known as alpha-linolenic acid.
  • high in alpha-linolenic acid

There's Ala alpha linolenic acid, which you can get in vegetables.

Examples

  • Salmon has pre-formed DHA, whereas walnuts have the precursor to DHA, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

    Blog text (9)

  • Flax oil is a remarkably good source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), containing 50 to 60 percent.

  • Humans cannot convert their alpha-linolenic acid to EPA and DHA.

    Blog text (30)

  • Similarly, nuts and seeds contain plenty of alpha-linolenic acid, which the body can convert to omega-3 fatty acid.

    Academic text (2006)

  • There's Ala alpha linolenic acid, which you can get in vegetables.

    Andrew Huberman

  • The three most important ones are alpha linolenic acid, which we also call Ala, which is found mainly in plant products, so nuts and seeds for example.

  • The RDA for alpha-linolenic acid is 1.1–1.6 grams per day for adults, depending on age, gender, and whether they are pregnant or breastfeeding.

    Blog text (9)

  • Alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, is found in vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax, and some leafy vegetables.

Synonyms

linolenic acid
vsalpha-linolenic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.6

An important fat in some plant oils that the body cannot make

specifies it is an omega-3 found mainly in vegetable oils like canola and flaxseed

Surface Forms

alpha-linolenic acid singular
alpha-linolenic acids plural

Morphology

alpha-linolenic + acid

A learner who knows 'acid' (and possibly 'alpha' as a letter/position) can infer this is a chemical/acidic substance, so the general category ('a kind of acid') is accessible. However, the specific technical meaning—that it is a polyunsaturated omega‑3 fatty acid essential in nutrition and found in certain vegetable oils—is specialized and not predictable from the surface constituents, so partial comprehension but not full transparency.

Etymology

Alpha-linolenic acid gets its name from two parts: alpha means the 'first' type and linolenic comes from 'linseed', an old word for 'flax', because it was first found in flaxseed oil. That's why alpha-linolenic acid is easy to remember as a plant 'omega-3' fat important for health.