Daily omega-3 might delay the aging process

From the Guardian 

A daily dose of omega-3 oils may slow the aging process, according to a major clinical trial of interventions that aim to extend humans’ healthspan – the number of years spent in good health before a decline in old age.

Healthy older people who took one gram of the essential fatty acid for three years were found to have aged three months less than others on the trial, as measured by biological markers. Additional vitamin D and regular exercise boosted the effect to nearly four months, researchers found.

Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, the first author on the study and professor of geriatric medicine and healthy longevity at the University of Zurich, said: “While the effects may appear small with three to four months rejuvenation of biological age in three years, if sustained, they may have relevant effects on population health.”

Previous studies had hinted that omega-3, an unsaturated fatty acid found in oily fish and other foods such as nuts and seeds, could affect the ageing process. But whether humans would see any meaningful benefits from consuming it was unclear.

The researchers used biological tools called epigenetic clocks to assess how rates of ageing were affected in a clinical trial involving nearly 800 people aged 70 and over in Switzerland. Epigenetic clocks measure DNA methylation, chemical modifications that build up on DNA and reflect the biological rather than the chronological age of the tissue.

Volunteers on the trial were divided into eight groups and each took a gram of algae-based omega-3 a day, or 2,000 international units of vitamin D, or performed 30 minutes of exercise three times a week, or a combination of these.

Three different epigenetic clocks suggested that omega-3 slowed ageing, while one found an additional benefit when it was accompanied by vitamin D and exercise, the authors write in Nature Aging.

The same European trial, Do-Health, has reported other beneficial effects of omega-3, including a 10% lower rate of falls in seniors and 13% fewer infections. Meanwhile, the combination of omega-3, vitamin D and exercise lowered the risk of entering pre-frailty – when people show one or two signs of physical or mental decline that typically precede frailty – by 39% and reduced invasive cancers by 61%.

The work raises the prospect of inexpensive and readily available ways to improve healthspan, which even if modest at the individual level could be valuable at the population scale. But the results are tentative and it is not yet clear whether any slowing in the ageing process translates to people living healthier for longer.

There are two categories of strokes: ischaemic and haemorrhagic.  The former are caused by a blockage in an artery (or, rarely) a vein.  The latter are caused by bleeding/breaking capillaries.   Because omega-3 supplements "thin the blood", they tend to reduce ischaemic (blockage) strokes, which make up 87% of all strokes, but may increase the risk of haemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes (13 % of all strokes)  The blockages tend to be caused by cholesterol plaque build-up, so if you're a meat eater, omega-3 oils improve your health.  As the article continues:

While previous work has signalled health benefits from consuming omega-3, one recent study reported that fish oil supplements might only reduce the risk of serious heart problems in those with cardiovascular disease. For healthy people, the supplements may raise the risk of heart conditions or stroke. The NHS does not recommend omega-3 supplements but advises people to eat two portions of fish per week, or the equivalent from a vegetarian source, to get enough of the essential fatty acid.

If you have a low risk of heart disease, as I do, being vegan, and take omega-3 oils, you should probably take 500-1000 mg a day of vitamin C with your omega-3 oils, as this vitamin is necessary for collagen synthesis, which is important for blood vessel integrity (a factor in haemorrhagic strokes).  Unfortunately, although freshly picked vegetables and fruit have high vitamin C content, it immediately starts decaying as soon as they're harvested.  Hence the need for supplemental vitamin C. 

Collagen, which is necessary to blood vessel health, is made from proteins you eat, so if you are vegan, you should also make sure you have enough protein.   Good protein sources are from soy products (soy milk, tofu, tempe, etc.), pulses/beans, and nuts and seeds (preferably raw, so the omega-3 oils in them aren't degraded).   Also, you should keep your omega-3 oil supplements in the fridge, as the chemical bonds in their molecules are easily broken by heat (and light, which is why they are sold in dark bottles).

Actually, even if you are a meat-eater, you too should take a vitamin C supplement. 

If you are on blood-thinners (for example, warfarin), it may be unwise to also take omega-3 oil supplements.  Check with your doctor.

Please note that you should check with your doctor before taking supplements.