My research turned up research on omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, so naturally it caught my attention when I started seeing fish oil pill ads touting it as a “fountain of youth” anti-aging remedy. Surprisingly, when I looked at the scientific experiments, I found a kernel of truth at the bottom of the mountain of hype. Are you going to smear fish oil on your face and walk around smelling like a sardine factory? Well, no. That would be crazy. But after reading the evidence, you may feel more inclined to order salmon for dinner, or you may even want to start taking small amounts of fish oil.
Cellular Seneca
Omega-3 fatty acids we are talking about here are those found in fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines or herring . All the hype really started with a 2010 study published in the journal JAMA, which found that people get the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in fish longer structures called telomeres are found in blood cells. Telomeres act like a protective cap at the ends of chromosomes, but they become shorter when cells are subjected to environmental stresses that trigger aging, such as sun exposure. The same processes of skin sag sag and wrinkles also shorten telomeres, and people with shorter telomeres are at a higher risk of death they have life-related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. As a result, telomere length is like a biological clock, indicating that fish-eaters had younger biological ages than chronological ages.
Staying sharp
It is perhaps even more important than not to die that I continue to lead a normal life in old age, and for this, that I dwell on the mind, is acutely critical. At least three studies have found an association between fish consumption and slower rates of mental decline with aging. However, clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease have only found a benefit of omega-3 supplements for people in the early stages of mental decline. This may mean that fish oil is only useful if people start taking it while they are still relatively healthy.
What before,
On the other hand, the critics and haters of the sailors note that the most of these events could happen. People who eat a lot of fish, or who go so far as to take fish oil, are likely to be healthy in other ways, and have a whole constellation of healthy habits that add up to make people age more slowly. But researchers in the field show that conducting experiments in lab animals, as evidence of these effects are really due to the fats in fish: for example, omega-3 supplementation in mice led to slower mental decline with aging and a longer life span. (Note that most omega-3 researchers, including myself, are not waiting for clinical trials to start using fish oil or to make it a priority to eat fish. Interestingly, there is an increase in the field now for the elderly, but they seem to be remarkably elderly.)
Bottom Line
In the search for a delay in getting old, fish oil can’t hurt and help. Although it may not be liked, there are other good reasons for eating fatty fish, such as the well-established benefits of preventing cardiovascular disease. Try to avoid types of fish that may have high mercury content, such as farm-raised salmon. Fish oil pills are safe as long as you keep the recommended dosage (below P.*3 per day). But look at products that claim to have added omega-s; this generally refers to flax seeds, which may not have the same benefits as the omega-3 fatty acids in fish.
