Omega 3 Index & Aging: Omega 3 Aging Study

Omega 3 Aging: High Omega 3 Index Protects Against Biological Aging

The Gene Smart Program emphasizes the many health benefits of oily fish and Omega 3 fish oil supplements which contain high levels of the omega 3s, EPA and DHA. Gene Smart so strongly believes in the importance of these omega 3s for healthy aging that it pioneered a home blood test that provides a measure of these two omega-3s, the Omega 3 Index, as an important predictor of an individual's risk of heart disease and especially sudden cardiac death. Now, breaking omega 3 research suggests a high Omega 3 Index may also protect your cells against the biological aging process.

Omega 3 Aging Study: Telomeres are a New Marker of Biological Aging

The Omega 3 connection to longevity and healthy aging is based on building evidence that associates part of our chromosomes called telomeres with cellular, or biological aging. The discovery of telomeres and its connection to biological aging was awarded The Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009.  Telomeres are protective caps of DNA at the tips of a chromosome that get shorter the more times a cell divides. In human blood cells, the length of telomeres ranges from 8,000 base pairs at birth to 3,000 base pairs as people age and can be as low as 1,500 in elderly people. Over time, telomeres can be damaged and shortened due to inflammation, smoking, obesity or lack of exercise. When the telomeres are too short, the cell can no longer divide, and will become inactive or "die". The shortening of these telomeres has been identified as an emerging biomarker of biological aging, also known as cellular aging.*

High Omega 3 Index Slows Biological Aging in Omega 3 Aging Study

Now in a recent omega 3 aging study, patients with a high Omega 3 Index were shown to have a slowing of the biological aging process as measured by telomere length. Furthermore, individuals with the lowest Omega 3 Index experienced the fastest rate of telomere shortening. In fact the quarter of patients in this omega 3 aging study with the highest Omega 3 Index had a 65% slower rate of telomere shortening compared to the quarter with the lowest Omega 3 Index. The patients in this omega 3  aging study with the fastest aging cells had an Omega 3 Index of about 3.1% whereas those with the slowest aging cells had an Index of 8.7%. The omega 3 aging study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January, 2010, was conducted among patients with coronary heart disease over a 5 year period. Watch video.

*Farzaneh-Far R; JAMA. 303(3):250-257;2010