Omega-3s appear to slow down the aging process

A daily intake of one gram of omega-3s can slow down biological aging by up to four months, according to an analysis of the international DO-HEALTH study led by the University of Zurich (UZH). Epigenetic clocks were used to measure the aging process and the results were published in the journal Nature Aging.

Previous clinical studies have shown that a reduced calorie intake can slow down the aging process in humans. Taking vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids has also shown promising results in slowing biological aging in animals; however, it was unclear whether these measures would also work in humans. With the DO-HEALTH study having shown that vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and regular physical activity help to prevent infections, falls, cancer and premature frailty, researchers were inspired to measure the direct influence of these three therapies on the biological aging process.

One scientific approach to making biological aging measurable is the use of epigenetic clocks. They record chemical modifications of the DNA molecule, known as methylation, and thus quantify the difference between biological and chronological aging. The DO-HEALTH study has now for the first time investigated how sensitively this molecular biological measurement method reacts to targeted treatment.

Working in collaboration with Steve Horvath from Altos Labs, who developed the epigenetic clocks, the UZH-led team investigated the effect of omega-3s and/or vitamin D and/or simple strength training on biological aging in 777 people over the age of 70. Eight different treatment combinations were tested during the three-year study: subjects took 2000 international units (IU) of vitamin D and/or 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids (from algae) daily and/or performed 30 minutes of strength training at home three times a week.

When the researchers analysed participants’ blood samples, they found that taking omega-3 fatty acids slowed down biological aging across several epigenetic clocks by up to four months — regardless of subjects’ gender, age or body mass index. The combination of omega-3, vitamin D and strength training proved to be even more effective, according to one of the four epigenetic clocks used.

“This result extends our previous findings from the DO-HEALTH study, in which these three factors combined had the greatest impact on reducing the risk of cancer and preventing premature frailty over a three-year period, to slowing down the biological aging process,” said study leader Heike Bischoff-Ferrari. Each of these measures works through different mechanisms that complement each other and, when combined, result in a heightened overall effect, he added.

The researchers acknowledged that the sample consists exclusively of Swiss participants and therefore does not represent the global population of older adults aged 70 years and older. In a next step, they plan to extend their analyses to all DO-HEALTH participants — including people from Germany, France, Austria and Portugal — to account for a greater diversity of genetics and lifestyles. Additionally, in order to further advance the clinical application of biological clocks, Bischoff-Ferrari will collaborate with the Global Health Span Extension Consortium to use DO-HEALTH and other global intervention studies as a validation platform for novel biomarkers of aging.

Image credit: iStock.com/Zbynek Pospisil