Even assuming PUFA are essential for health, the current dietary recommendations are probably set way too high. This study claims that dietary intake of 0.5% PUFA (as percentage of daily calories) is more than enough to satisfy the "essential" requirements.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/773167
"...All of these factors could adversely affect linoleic acid utilization and so exaggerate EFA requirements. If minimum EFA needs are as high as those suggested (1.0%) of cal), deficiency should be commoner than it in fact is. For the reasons noted above it is believed that the minimum requirements for EFA have been set far too high and are in fact less than 0.5% of cal, so that a daily allowance of 65 mg/100 cal (about 0.6% cal) should provide an ample margin of safety."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/773167
"...All of these factors could adversely affect linoleic acid utilization and so exaggerate EFA requirements. If minimum EFA needs are as high as those suggested (1.0%) of cal), deficiency should be commoner than it in fact is. For the reasons noted above it is believed that the minimum requirements for EFA have been set far too high and are in fact less than 0.5% of cal, so that a daily allowance of 65 mg/100 cal (about 0.6% cal) should provide an ample margin of safety."
