A new study found supplementing with a high dose of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids daily may aid in slowing the effects of aging that occurs both during a after a stressful event, by stopping damage and increasing protection at the cellular level.
Over 130 sedentary and overweight middle aged men and women participated in this study. 93 women and 44 men were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: Placebo group, Supplement group receiving 1.25 grams of Omega-3 daily, Supplement group receiving 2.5 grams of Omega-3 daily. The study lasted 4 months. Participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test, a 20 minute test which combines a speech and a math subtraction task known to produce an inflammatory stress response, both before and after the intervention period.
The high dose Omega-3 Supplement group showed a reduction in cortisol levels of 19% and a reduction in IL-6 levels of 33% when compared to the placebo group. Additionally both Omega-3 supplementing groups so no changes in telomerase levels in the 2 hours following the stress test. This shows that any stress related cell repair needed, which includes restoration of telomeres, could be done as usual. The placebo group however, showed decreases in telomerase levels of approximately 24% and reductions in anti inflammatory IL-10 levels of 20%.
The lifespan and aging of healthy normal cells are linked to telomerase shortening mechanism which limits cells to a fixed number of divisions. Telomerase function by ensuring the cell’s chromosomes do not fuse together or rearrange themselves during cell replication which could cause diseases like cancer. Every time a cell replicates the telomeres shorten. When the telomeres are totally used up cellular apoptosis occur and the cells are destroyed. Prior studies show telomeres are highly susceptible to inflammation and oxidative stress. The lengths of the telomeres are believed to be a marker of biological aging.
Researchers suggested daily Omega-3 supplementation may aid in helping protect cells from stressors and facilitate a healthy biological aging process.
Further studies are needed.
Here is some additional information about Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids:
Chemically a fatty acid is an organic acid with an acid group at one end of its molecule and a methyl at the other end. Fatty acids are categorized in the Omega groups 3, 6 or 9 according to the location of their last double bond.
An Essential Fatty Acid is a fatty acid that the body cannot manufacture by itself, in other words they must be obtained through supplementation or through foods. There are 2 fatty acids that are designated as essential fatty acids: linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. There are more fatty acids than these 2 specific essential fatty acids found in the Omega 3-6-9 groups but a healthy body may be able to manufacture them as long as there is enough linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, so they are considered non-essential fatty acids. There are however certain health benefits to be obtained by intaking some of the non-essential fatty acids directly, especially in the case of the Omega 3 fatty acids.
The Need for More Omega 3
Humans evolved on a diet that had approximately a 1:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), today our Western diet contains a ratio of 15:1 – 16.7:1. A typical Western diet is deficient in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and has an overabundance of Omega-6 Fatty Acids when compared to the diet in which humans evolved and their genetic patterns were established. In a study done by The Harvard School of Public Health over 96,000 deaths in the US were attributed to being caused by an Omega-3 deficiency. Other research shows that excessive amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids and high Omega-6/Omega-3 ratios promote many types of diseases like autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease. It is obvious that increasing Omega-3 Fatty Acid intake is necessary for a healthier population.
Molecular Distillation
The public was made aware of excessive levels of mercury, a neurotoxic heavy metal, as well as PCBs and other toxic organic compounds found in certain fish species from a well-publicized federal advisory in 2001. It was determined that fish oil supplements could also be subject to excessive levels of these neurotoxins. It makes choosing a “CLEAN” fish oil even more important than ever. For this very reason Viva Vitamins uses pure, high quality, molecularly distilled Omega-3 EPA/DHA fish oil in the products they manufacture. Molecular distillation is a process where all heavy metals and PCBs are virtually removed from the fish oil. Additionally extensive testing is performed to verify that all federal standards of purity have not just been met but have been surpassed.
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