What is the difference between the plasma and whole blood fatty acid profiles?
Plasma fatty acids are more influenced by recent dietary intake, as well as total caloric intake and stored fatty acids. Red blood cell (RBC) fatty acid profiling is most commonly used to determine the presence of long term insufficiencies and imbalances. It measures total concentrations of individual fatty acids. RBC data are generally preferred for assessing overall body status of fatty acids, because the levels reflect those present in most tissues.
