Anti-Aging, Omega-3

The Healthy Aging Benefits of Omega-3

The Gene Smart Team22622 Views312 Comments
We’re all getting older, but can we slow down the rate that our body ages?
A revolutionary healthy aging study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests we can.  And, it may be those same omega-3s that are so important for your anti-inflammatory diet that protects your cells against the aging process.

The Science of Telomeres & Healthy Aging

The connection between omega-3 and healthy aging is based on building evidence that associates part of our chromosomes called telomeres with biological (or cellular) 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 age.

Omega-3 Healthy Aging Study Results

Healthy Aging

In the JAMA omega-3 healthy aging study, patients with high levels of the omega-3s EPA and DHA in their blood appear to have a slowing of the biological aging process as measured by telomere length.

Furthermore, individuals with the lowest levels of omega-3s EPA and DHA in their blood experienced the fastest rate of telomere shortening.   In fact the quarter of patients in this healthy 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 Omega-3 Index is a measure of the concentration of the omega-3s EPA + DHA as a percentage of total fatty acids in red blood cell membranes.  The patients in this 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 healthy aging study, published in JAMA, was conducted among patients with cardiovascular disease over a 5-year period.

Healthy Aging…Another Reason to Take Those Omega-3s

The Gene Smart Anti-Inflammatory Diet Plan emphasizes the many health benefits of fish and fish oil containing high levels of the omega-3s, EPA and DHA.   To achieve these benefits, we recommend consuming 1,250 – 1,500 mg of EPA + DHA per day to support an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.

At Gene Smart, we want to make it easy for you to achieve these targeted omega-3 levels.  Our Guide to Fish High in Omega-3 provides a handy reference to help you choose fish with the highest omega-3 levels.  

How do You Know if You Are Getting Enough Omega-3?

Even those taking steps to increase their consumption of omega 3s may not be getting enough.  The body’s response to omega 3 in the diet is influenced by many factors including genetics, age, sex, weight, smoking, medications, and medical conditions, as well as the source and quality of omega 3s and how they are consumed.

The best way to know if you are getting enough omega-3 is to measure how much is ending up in your blood.

It is now possible to measure the omega-3 in your blood using a simple & convenient omega-3 home blood test kit.  In fact, Gene Smart introduced the first omega-3 home blood test that measures the Omega-3 Index and Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio, and that test was featured on Dr. Oz!  Watch the Dr. Oz video.  

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The Gene Smart Team

What Is Gene Smart? At Gene Smart we provide health news, information and scientifically researched supplements. Our supplement formulas are cutting-edge and meet the highest quality assurance standards in the industry, to help you with a variety of health conditions....


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