Study: Omega-3 Supplements May Actually Affect Aging

[n2doc]

OCT 4 2012, 8:03 AM ET

Lindsay Abrams

PROBLEM: It's an eternal and irreversible certainty that as we get older, our telomeres shorten. Every time a cell divides, a bit of the chromosomal end-piece is clipped off, our DNA diminishing in length; aging, cancer, and our ultimate demise following closely behind. If we can't preserve our fleeting youth, can we at least save our telomeres? And -- let's be honest, here -- can we do so without making any major lifestyle changes?

METHODOLOGY: Researchers at Ohio State University put adults (over one hundred of them, middle-aged and older, mostly overweight but otherwise healthy) on a four month regimen of already-known-to-be-good-for-us omega-3 supplements. The pills, derived from cold-water fish like salmon and cod, were administered in two different doses, while a control group received placebos.

RESULTS: Members of both groups given the real stuff had longer telomeres than the sugar pill group -- a promising sign. But differences in telomere length reached statistical significance when looked at as a function of the lowered ratios of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 in the experimental groups' blood.

The fish pill groups also had a 15 percent reduction in oxidative stress, the disease-causing condition behind science's much-enthused over endorsement of red wine and dark chocolate.

more

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/10/study-omega-3-supplements-may-actually-affect-aging/263219/

[hlthe2b]

1. How a reporter could fail to discuss the actual doses given escapes me...

and irritates me no end.

[bemildred]

2. Yes, like dosage did not matter. nt

[klook]

3. "Study participants took either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams" - link to Ohio State announcement

The Atlantic printed a short redaction of the original info from Ohio State. Here's some more from the source:

Study participants took either 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams of active omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are considered “good fats” that, when consumed in proper quantities, are associated with a variety of health benefits. Participants on the placebo took pills containing a mix of oils representing a typical American’s daily intake.

The researchers say this combination of effects suggests that omega-3 supplements could represent a rare single nutritional intervention that has potential to lower the risk for a host of diseases associated with aging, such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study is published online and scheduled for later print publication in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

Participants received either the placebo or one of the two different doses of omega-3 fatty acids. The supplements were calibrated to contain a ratio of the two cold-water fish oil fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), of seven to one. Previous research has suggested that EPA has more anti-inflammatory properties than DHA.
- press release from Ohio State U. University Communications

There have been other recent reports that the benefits of fish oil supplements are exaggerated, so it seems we don't have consensus.