Heart Disease: Fish Oil Supplements Slow Cellular Aging

Cellular aging can be slowed by high levels of Omega-3 in the blood of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. This was demonstrated by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (USA) in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the study authors, high amounts of these fatty acids are associated with longer telomeres, the DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age. The hypothesis is that the antioxidant action of Omega-3 protects these structures from shortening, preventing cellular aging.

Telomeres, Indicators of Cellular Age

Telomeres are special structures that protect chromosome ends, preventing them from interacting and forming fusions or other genetic mutations. With each cell division, these DNA segments shorten. For this reason, telomeres are considered indicators of the biological age of the cell. Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress affects telomere length. Other research has revealed that molecules with antioxidant properties can protect telomeres from damage—this is the case with multivitamins. A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Research Triangle Park, USA) found regular consumption of these nutrients is associated with longer telomeres. Similar results were found by Ruth Chan and colleagues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (China), showing chromosome ends are significantly longer in people who drink an average of three cups of tea daily compared to those who drink only a quarter of that amount. Chan estimates this telomere length difference corresponds to about 5 additional years of life.

Omega-3 and Telomeres

The University of California researchers focused on patients with cardiovascular disorders. Several studies have shown that high Omega-3 intake in these individuals is linked to better survival rates. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. By studying telomere length in blood cells of 608 patients with coronary disease, the authors showed that individuals with lower levels of Omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) experience faster telomere shortening. Conversely, 5 years after study start, telomere shortening was much slower in patients with higher blood levels of EPA and DHA.

Cellular Aging: Effective Protection

The researchers concluded that Omega-3s may protect cardiovascular patients from cellular aging. Similar to multivitamins and tea, the mechanism likely involves reducing oxidative stress, a factor influenced by these fatty acids. However, the authors do not exclude a direct role of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains chromosome end structures. Along with previous studies, these findings support the hypothesis that antioxidant intake protects cells from aging.

Source 

1. Farzaneh-Far R, Lin J, Epel ES, Harris WS, Blackburn EH, Whooley MA, “Association of marine omega-3 fatty acid levels with telomeric aging in patients with coronary heart disease”, JAMA. 2010 Jan 20;303(3):250-7 

2. Xu Q, Parks CG, DeRoo LA, Cawthon RM, Sandler DP, Chen H, “Multivitamin use and telomere length in women”, Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jun;89(6):1857-63. Epub 2009 Mar 11 

3. Chan R, Woo J, Suen E, Leung J, Tang N, “Chinese tea consumption is associated with longer telomere length in elderly Chinese men”, Br J Nutr. 2010 Jan;103(1):107-13. Epub 2009 Aug 12