Omega 3 fatty acids that come from fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel and even sardines, have been known to have many health benefits including lowered levels of heart disease and less risk of heart attacks. They have an innate ability to enhance brain function and can even aid in reducing joint stiffness and pain.
Now there is novel research that claims these fatty acids could have an even more rudimentary advantage – heart patients who consumed high levels of omega 3 also had elongated telomeres, the bits of DNA that determine longevity based on their length.
Heart specialists from UofC, San Francisco, and other health facilities calculated the length of telomeres during a five year time frame in six hundred eight patients who suffered coronary artery blockage and also had gone through a prior heart attack. The scientists discovered that those who had a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids within their white blood count experienced considerably reduced shortening of their telomeres over the five year period when compared to those participants with lesser amounts of omega 3 quantities.
The lead cardiologist, scientist and research author of the study said that what was being exhibited was a possible association between omega 3 fatty acids and the process of senescence. The study was released to print in the Journal of the American Medical Association and concentrated on only waterborne omega 3 that was located in fish, not the vegetable based source such as in flaxseed, walnuts, canola or soybean oils.
The trial did not differentiate links with fatty fish cuisine or simply fish oil supplements. This raises the glaring question of whether an individual is better off eating copious amounts of fish, eating plants like flaxseed or simply ingesting a fish oil capsule to benefit from omega 3.
In 2002, the Journal Circulation, the American Heart Association drew the conclusion that ingesting omega 3 fatty acids whether in fish or through a supplement would reduce considerably the chance for a subsequent coronary or all cause mortality. The variety of fish most commonly discussed were the salmon, herring and sardines.
One nutritional expert claims that the best information regarding omega 3 quality is that omega 3 from fish is better than the variety from fish oil pills but he claims the supplements are a real improvement from what they were just five years ago. He also says there is little confirmation that omega 3 from flaxseed and nuts are very beneficial. However, those specific foods come with a different set of advantages apart from their omega 3 benefits. An example of this would be flax meal on its own can play a significant role in reducing LDL cholesterol, the bad kind.
The researchers conducting this latest trial say they found baseline amounts of fish borne omega 3 fatty acids to be related to a decline in telomere loss over a five years time frame.
In addition, the study authors said that in numerous studies, shorter telomere length in white blood cells specifically showed an ability to forecast mortality, cardiovascular situations and heart failure. He wondered if the length of telomeres is actually a cause or simply a marker of cellular death. Whatever it is, telomere length reduction was an integral component to cell senescence.
In order to finalize any question of omega 3 fatty acids hindering cellular senescence, it would mean conducting a randomized double blind, placebo regulated study according to this study’s authors. They also recommended that the study be conducted on healthy adults since strong evidence now exists that there are advantages for heart patients taking omega 3 fatty acids.
Tue, Jan 26, 2010
Anti Aging, Health And Aging, Longevity