Aging: Omega-3 Elixir of Youth, Stops Epigenetic Clocks

How “young at heart” do you feel? Lifestyle can help slow down your aging process, letting your chronological age move forward while stopping your biological age. Among the ingredients that should not be missing from your diet are Omega 3s, the healthy fats from fish.

Taking Omega 3s slows biological aging, and their effect can be enhanced by vitamin D and physical activity. This was revealed by a study published in Nature Aging by a group of researchers led by Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Zurich (Switzerland).

This is the first study to use so-called epigenetic clocks to assess the aging process. Based on the collected data, taking 1 gram of Omega 3 daily for 3 years is enough to appear up to 4 months younger biologically — a dosage easily achievable with high-quality and concentrated Omega 3 supplements.

What are epigenetic clocks?

The passage of time leaves traces on our DNA. One of the best known and studied is methylation — a chemical modification that doesn’t alter the genetic code but can influence gene expression and is used by epigenetic clocks to compare chronological age with biological age.

These epigenetic clocks are algorithms (i.e., calculation models) based precisely on measuring genome methylation. Bischoff-Ferrari and colleagues used 4 of them:

• the first 3 are second-generation epigenetic clocks that associate methylation with mortality risk;
• the fourth is a third-generation epigenetic clock that associates methylation with the health status of body systems.

Additionally, the researchers considered information from first-generation epigenetic clocks that associate DNA methylation with age.

Omega 3s against aging

The anti-aging potential of Omega 3s had already emerged from previous studies. For example, in 2013 Janice Kiecolt-Glaser and colleagues from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus (USA) linked a reduced Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio to greater telomere length (the protective ends of chromosomes, which shorten as cells age).

Other research had linked Omega 3s to DNA methylation and reductions in infections (–13%) and falls (–10%) among the elderly. Moreover, when taken in combination with vitamin D and physical activity, these health-boosting fats were also associated with a reduced incidence of aggressive cancer forms (–61%) and pre-frailty (–39%) — a condition where at least one or two of the criteria used to diagnose full frailty are present (weight loss, extreme fatigue, low physical activity, slow walking speed, and reduced strength).

In this new study, Bischoff-Ferrari and collaborators aimed to confirm at the molecular level the effectiveness of Omega 3s, alone or in combination with vitamin D and physical activity.

The study

The data analyzed involved nearly 800 of the 2,157 individuals, all aged 70 or older, who took part in the DO-HEALTH study. This study included 8 experimental groups:

• the first took 1 gram of Omega 3 and 2000 IU (International Units) of vitamin D3 daily, combined with a physical activity program involving 30-minute workouts three times a week;
• the second took only Omega 3 and vitamin D;
• the third took vitamin D and exercised; 
• the fourth took Omega 3 and exercised;
• the fifth took only vitamin D;
• the sixth took only Omega 3;
• the seventh exercised only;
• the eighth took a placebo only. 

The study lasted 3 years. “When it comes to measuring biological age, there is no universally accepted standard,” explained Bischoff-Ferrari. “We analyzed the best validated epigenetic clocks currently available.”

The results published in Nature Aging showed a “specific and notable” epigenetic response to Omega 3s, corresponding to a slowdown in aging that, over 3 years, could result in appearing biologically 4 months younger than one’s peers.

The greatest benefits were observed in participants with lower initial Omega 3 levels. “This suggests that starting nutritional status may influence the epigenetic response,” the publication authors explain.

Slowing aging to prevent chronic diseases

Aging is one of the main risk factors for various chronic diseases, but healthy aging is possible. The results of this study support the hypothesis that chronic diseases can be prevented by slowing biological aging, highlighting Omega 3s — alone or combined with vitamin D and physical activity — as one of the tools we have to do so.

Individually, Omega 3, vitamin D, and physical activity influence biological aging through different mechanisms that, when combined, act synergistically to enhance the effect.

The benefits of this combined approach depend on initial nutritional status, suggesting the need to personalize supplementation protocols.

How to take Omega 3 against aging

The Omega 3s taken by participants in this study were the two biologically active forms (eicosapentaenoic acid – EPA – and docosahexaenoic acid – DHA) found in marine sources. Specifically, participants received Omega 3 from algae totaling 330 mg of EPA and 660 mg of DHA daily.

Achieving such dosages through food alone is not easy, especially if, for various reasons, you don’t eat much fish or avoid it altogether. You can overcome this challenge with marine-derived supplements made from fish, krill, or microalgae.

The best choice you can make is to opt for highly concentrated products (to reduce the number of capsules needed daily) that are certified for purity and freshness. This ensures you are taking Omega 3s free of substances potentially harmful to your health, such as heavy metals and dioxins, which unfortunately can contaminate fish and fish-derived products.

If your goal is to combat aging, combine these fats with other helpful ingredients, such as natural antioxidants and allies for skin health and energy metabolism.

Discover the best Omega 3 supplements on the market by visiting our Shop and stay updated on the benefits of these fats by continuing to read our Blog!

References:

Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Gängler S, Wieczorek M, Belsky DW, Ryan J, Kressig RW, Stähelin HB, Theiler R, Dawson-Hughes B, Rizzoli R, Vellas B, Rouch L, Guyonnet S, Egli A, Orav EJ, Willett W, Horvath S. Individual and additive effects of vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise on DNA methylation clocks of biological aging in older adults from the DO-HEALTH trial. Nat Aging. 2025 Feb 3. doi: 10.1038/s43587-024-00793-y

UZH News. Omega-3s Can Slow Down Aging Process. 04/02/2025. Last viewed: 13/03/25