Activist Post
A new study partially attributes longevity to consuming enough omega-3s to balance the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, which preserves DNA segments called telomeres – telomeres shorten with age. The scientists essentially pinpoint omega-4 fats as a natural anti-aging nutrient.
Participants in the experiment supplementing with omega-3s also showed 15 percent lower levels of oxidative stress compared to a placebo group.
Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio in America
The typical American diet is heavy in omega-6 fatty acids—found in vegetable oils—and low in omega-3s, with about a 15-1 ratio.
“The idea we were looking at with the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids was an increase in the denominator to make the ratio smaller. In the United States, we need to focus on the omega-3 part because we don’t get enough of those.” Ideally, researchers say the ratio should be 4-1 or 2-1.
Natural Anti-Aging – The Experiment
The studied group consisted of 106 disease-free, overweight or obese adult participants averaging 51 years of age and experiencing low stress, sedentary lives. Smokers, vegetarians, diabetics, athletes, and individuals regularly consuming fish oil or medications were excluded from the study.
Participants were separated into three groups:
- Placebo group taking pills with mixture and ratio of oils found in the characteristic America diet.
- Those taking 2.5 grams of active omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- Those taking 1.25 grams of active omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid.
The omega-3s administered were a 7:1 ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), because EPA has been shown in previous studies to fight inflammation more than DHA.
After four months, the groups supplementing with omega-3s showed lengthened telomeres on average compared to the placebo group. A lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio was associated with telomere lengthening, leading to accelerated aging.
Inflammation Shortens Telomeres
Why all this fuss over telomeres? Telomeres cap either end of chromosomes. Think of them as the plastic caps at the ends of shoelaces. “If that plastic comes off, the shoelace unravels and it doesn’t work anymore,” says co-author Ron Glaser. “In the same way, every time a cell divides, it loses a little bit of its DNA at the ends, and over time, that can cause significant problems.”
Researchers note that the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s may lower the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions associated with aging. This study’s finding “strongly suggests that inflammation is what’s driving the changes in telomeres,” says lead author Jan Kiecolt-Glaser.Fighting Inflammation
“Inflammation in particular is at the heart of so many health problems. Anything that reduces inflammation has a lot of potentially good spinoffs among older adults,” says Kiecold-Glaser. Turmeric, olive oil, and magnesium are readily available anti-inflammatories.
Obviously, chugging cod liver oil isn’t the singular answer to longevity. The body is an orchestra in need of fine tuning from all angles, from diet to exercise, stress to detoxification. In addition to adding more focus to all those areas and considering omega 3 fats as a potential natural anti-aging nutrient, check out this article where the healthiest people over age 99 offer their secrets to longevity.
Explore More:
Conflicting Evidence Between Omega 3 Fats and Colon Cancer Prevention
Could Omega-3′s Actually Help You Live Longer?
Diet for Breast Cancer Patients Should Include Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 Fats Provide Powerful Fertility Benefits
Osteoarthritis Can be Treated with Dietary Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 Fats, Antioxidants, and More for a Macular Degeneration Diet (AMD)
This article first appeared at Natural Society, an excellent resource for health news and vaccine information.
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6 comments:
Regular consumption of fish will certainly balance the Omega fat requirements.
Cancer is caused by compromised cell respiration. Dr. Warburg proved this back in the 1920's. He won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery.
Omega-6 fatty acids are key. They are probably the most important constituent of the cell membrane. Omega-6 fatty acids are like oxygen sponges. They bring oxygen from the blood into the cell. When cells do not get enough oxygen, they start to function anaerobically. In other words, they start to ferment. This changes healthy cells into cancerous cells.
The problem today is that Omega-6 fatty acids in vegetable oils are "compromised"--that is, they are hydrogenated. The cell membrane cannot utilise these fatty acids to perform what the cell needs, or at least only minimally. Exposure to radiation, toxins, etc. is a secondary (but important) factor.
In other words, you need to eat organic food and avoid hydrogenated fatty acids.
Saravanan, eating fish isn't going to be healthy if it's full of mercury and/or radiation.
Sprouts, people. SPROUTS! Organic seeds/nuts sprouted and eaten raw or gently cooked are the best source of nutrients.
I agree with the hydrogenated oil comment, though. I can vouch for how beneficial cutting them out of the diet. My face cleared up of blemishes within two weeks once I stopped eating all the junk.
Don't eat anything that comes out of a can or box. Don't drink sodas or energy drinks. OR any of those 'flavored waters' because you just can't stand drinking plain water. Suck it up, people.
Anything in a package is bad news. It's all got aspartame, sugar, and corn syrups-- this stuff is not real food!
Turmeric does help, too. I fill my own capsules.
Good post, but in response to the 2nd comment from “Anonymous,” we’d remind that the short-chain omega-3’s provided by plant sources are not as beneficial as the long-chains from fish sources. And for those concerned about contaminants in oceangoing fish, the answer may be a high-quality fish-oil supplement manufactured using advanced processes such as supercritical concentration, which is able to among other things filter out virtually all contaminants. For those interested in these and other issues, we’ve amassed a wealth of independently researched information on our website, www.expertomega3.com.
Hi
It is a great post about omega-3 fat containing valuable information.
Thanks.
I'm using organic flax oil its very high in omega-3, And i really can feel the health sides of it on my look and feeling .
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