The Healthy Aging Benefits of Omega-3

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

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.Results of the controlled study ; Individuals in the lowest quartile of DHAEPA experienced the fastest rate of telomere shortening , whereas those in the highest quartile experienced the slowest rate of telomere shortening Highest levels of DHA-EPA were associated with less telomere shortening before sequential adjustment for established risk factors and potential confounders. Each 1-SD increase in DHAEPA levels was associated with a 32% reduction in the odds of telomere shortening (adjusted odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.47-0.98).

Conclusion Among this cohort of patients with coronary artery disease, there was

an inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3 fatty acids

and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years.

In other words the higher the Omega 3s the healthier your telomeres are and the healthier they are, the longer you live healthy!

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

The Health Flex Optimal Health 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,  Health Flex's wellness protocol recommends consuming 1,250 ? 1,500 mg of EPA + DHA per day to support an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.One of the best ways is 25mg of Omega 3s transdermal and 25 mg of Ubiquinol CoQ10

  this equates to 250 mg taken every hour of an oral supplement as the timed release function delivers 10 x the dosage as oral aplications

At Health Flex, we want to make it easy for you to achieve these targeted omega-3 levels.  Our Guide to Guide to Omega 3 fish provides a handy reference to help you choose fish with the highest omega-3 levels.   Health Flex organic Natural foods also suggest Chia as healthy addition  to boost your Omega 3s.

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 home test kit for omega 3s..  In fact, Dr.Chilton 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.  We now offer a more comprehensive Omega-3 Test from Vital Choice.  We believe that it is the best omega-3 test on the market. 

Telomeres are non-coding regions located on the end of linear chromosomes, and they are shortened with each cell division until the cell no longer divides. For this reason, telomere length is an indicator of cellular aging. Telomere length is maintained in actively dividing cells (such as stem cells and immune cells) by an enzyme called telomerase. There is an inverse association between leisure time exercise energy expenditure and telomere length ? meaning that those who exercise regularly have ?younger? DNA in their immune cells than those who are sedentary.^2-3 A study of middle-aged German track and field athletes found not only longer telomeres in immune cells but also increased activity of the telomerase enzyme and decreased expression of cell-cycle inhibitors ? molecules that prevent cell division ? in these athletes compared to age-matched untrained individuals.⁴

Collectively, these studies tell us that exercise not only prevents disease, but promotes longevity, even if we get a late start.