Omega-3 Fats Linked to Younger Biological Age

by | Feb 24, 2010 | 2010, Cardiovascular Health, Fish Oil Supplements

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Telomere (pieces of DNA) length is associated with aging. The shorter the telomere, the older the person. Those in the lowest 25% of omega-3 blood levels, compared to those in the highest 25% of omega-3 blood levels had rates of telomere shortening that were 62% faster, resulting in a faster aging process. 

Aging is a complex process that includes changes in our DNA, especially pieces of DNA at the end of chromosomes called telomeres. When cells divide, telomeres do not fully replicate with the chromosomes, causing them to “shorten” every time a cell divides. As a result, telomere length has been associated with helping to predict aging (1). Now a new study (2) has found that omega-3 fats may help with DNA health in those suffering from heart disease.

In the study, 608 patients with diagnosed heart disease provided blood samples over the course of between 5 to 8 years and also measured the telomere length of their white blood cells. They measured telomere shortening and used “telomere-to-single-copy gene ratio (T/S). They measured telomere activity in white blood cells, which has been found to be a direct predictor of mortality in patients with coronary heart disease (3).

The researchers found that, compared to those in the lowest 25% of omega-3 blood levels (2.3%), those in the highest 25% of omega-3 blood levels (7.3%) had rates of telomere shortening that were 62% slower (0.05 vs. 0.13 T/S units), resulting in a slower aging process. They also found that every move up into the next 25% grouping (for example, from the lowest 25% to the 50th percentile), reduced the risk of telomere shortening by 32%.

The researchers suggested that omega-3 fats were able to modulate telomere shortening by helping prevent free radical formation in these white blood cells as free radicals are “a powerful driver of telomere shortening and…aging” (4) and “specifically target…telomeric DNA and result in increased telomere [shortening] during [cell division]” (5). They concluded that “there was an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years” in patients with coronary artery disease.

Source: Farzaneh-Far, Ramin, et al. “Association of marine omega-3 fatty acid levels with telomeric aging in patients with coronary heart disease.” Jama 303.3 (2010): 250-257.

© 2010 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Posted February 24, 2010.

References:

  1. Eppel ES. Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress PNAS December 7, 2004; 101 (49): 17312-17315. Published online before print December 1, 2004.
  2. Farzaneh-Far R. Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels With Telomeric Aging in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease. Journal of the American Medical Association 2010; 303(3):250-257.
  3. Fuster JJ, Andres V. Telomere biology and cardiovascular disease. Circ Res. 2006;99(11):1167-1180.
  4. Milne GL, Yin H, Morrow JD. Human biochemistry of the isoprostane pathway. J Biol Chem. 2008;283(23):15533-15537.
  5. Epel ES. Psychological and metabolic stress: a recipe for accelerated cellular aging? Hormones (Athens). 2009;8(1):7-22.