WANT TO SLOW AGEING PROCESS? TRY OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID SUPPLEMETS
Taking enough omega-3 fatty acid supplements to change the balance of oils in the diet could slow a key biological process linked to ageing, researchers say.
The study showed that most overweight but healthy middle-aged and older adults who took omega-3 supplements for four months altered a ratio of their fatty acid consumption in a way that helped preserve tiny segments of DNA in their white blood cells.
These segments, called telomeres, are known to shorten over time in many types of cells as a consequence of aging. In the study, lengthening of telomeres in immune system cells was more prevalent in people who substantially improved the ratio of omega-3s to other fatty acids in their diet.
Omega-3 supplementation also reduced oxidative stress, caused by excessive free radicals in the blood, by about 15 % compared to effects seen in the placebo group.
The telomere finding is provocative in that it suggests the possibility that a nutritional supplement might actually make a difference in ageing.
In another report it is said that omega-3 fatty acid supplements lowered inflammation in this same group of adults.
Inflammation in particular is at the heart of so many health problems. Anything that reduces inflammation has a lot of potentially good spin-offs among older adults.
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.
According to the researchers, 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 ageing such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.
In the case of fatty acids, omega-3 supplementation alone doesn't tell the whole story of how this dietary change can affect health. Also important is the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids that are present in a person's blood.
Omega-6 fatty acids come from vegetable oils, and since the 1960s, research has suggested that these oils, too, can help protect the cardiovascular system.
However, the typical American diet tends to be heavy on omega-6 fatty acids and comparatively low in omega-3s that are naturally found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna. While the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids averages about 15-to-1, researchers tend to agree that for maximum benefit, this ratio should be lowered to 4-to-1, or even 2-to-1.
According to researchers that the long chains - or bigger molecules - that make up EPA and DHA fatty acids are believed to be the secret to their effectiveness.
Both groups of participants who took omega-3 supplements showed, on average, lengthening of telomeres compared to overall telomere effects in the placebo group, but the relationship could have been attributed to chance.
However, when the researchers analyzed the participants' omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in relationship to telomere lengthening, a lower ratio was clearly associated with lengthened telomeres.
The researchers also measured levels of compounds called F2-isoprostanes to determine levels of oxidative stress, which is linked to a number of conditions that include heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
Both omega-3 groups together showed an average overall 15 per cent reduction in oxidative stress compared to effects seen in the placebo group.
When the scientists revisited their earlier inflammation findings, they also found that decreases in an inflammatory marker in the blood called interleukin-6 (IL-6) were associated with telomere lengthening.
In their earlier paper on omega-3s and inflammation, they reported that omega-3 supplements lowered IL-6 by 10 to 12 per cent, depending on the dose. By comparison, those taking a placebo saw an overall 36 per cent increase in IL-6 by the end of the study.
This finding strongly suggests that inflammation is what's driving the changes in the telomeres.
The study showed that most overweight but healthy middle-aged and older adults who took omega-3 supplements for four months altered a ratio of their fatty acid consumption in a way that helped preserve tiny segments of DNA in their white blood cells.
These segments, called telomeres, are known to shorten over time in many types of cells as a consequence of aging. In the study, lengthening of telomeres in immune system cells was more prevalent in people who substantially improved the ratio of omega-3s to other fatty acids in their diet.
Omega-3 supplementation also reduced oxidative stress, caused by excessive free radicals in the blood, by about 15 % compared to effects seen in the placebo group.
The telomere finding is provocative in that it suggests the possibility that a nutritional supplement might actually make a difference in ageing.
In another report it is said that omega-3 fatty acid supplements lowered inflammation in this same group of adults.
Inflammation in particular is at the heart of so many health problems. Anything that reduces inflammation has a lot of potentially good spin-offs among older adults.
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.
According to the researchers, 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 ageing such as coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.
In the case of fatty acids, omega-3 supplementation alone doesn't tell the whole story of how this dietary change can affect health. Also important is the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids that are present in a person's blood.
Omega-6 fatty acids come from vegetable oils, and since the 1960s, research has suggested that these oils, too, can help protect the cardiovascular system.
However, the typical American diet tends to be heavy on omega-6 fatty acids and comparatively low in omega-3s that are naturally found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna. While the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids averages about 15-to-1, researchers tend to agree that for maximum benefit, this ratio should be lowered to 4-to-1, or even 2-to-1.
According to researchers that the long chains - or bigger molecules - that make up EPA and DHA fatty acids are believed to be the secret to their effectiveness.
Both groups of participants who took omega-3 supplements showed, on average, lengthening of telomeres compared to overall telomere effects in the placebo group, but the relationship could have been attributed to chance.
However, when the researchers analyzed the participants' omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in relationship to telomere lengthening, a lower ratio was clearly associated with lengthened telomeres.
The researchers also measured levels of compounds called F2-isoprostanes to determine levels of oxidative stress, which is linked to a number of conditions that include heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
Both omega-3 groups together showed an average overall 15 per cent reduction in oxidative stress compared to effects seen in the placebo group.
When the scientists revisited their earlier inflammation findings, they also found that decreases in an inflammatory marker in the blood called interleukin-6 (IL-6) were associated with telomere lengthening.
In their earlier paper on omega-3s and inflammation, they reported that omega-3 supplements lowered IL-6 by 10 to 12 per cent, depending on the dose. By comparison, those taking a placebo saw an overall 36 per cent increase in IL-6 by the end of the study.
This finding strongly suggests that inflammation is what's driving the changes in the telomeres.
Labels: ageing, Arthritis, CAD( coronary artery disease), diabetes, heart ailments, immune system, inflammation, Omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, over-weight, oxidative stress, telomeres
posted by G S Iyer at 8:41 AM
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