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Fatty acids may slow aging, boost well-being 2010-01-20 Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is linked to slower aging and lower risk of coronary disease, researchers at the University of California-San Francisco said this week. Reuters reported that the scientists examined a part of subjects' DNA called telomeres. Telomeres act as protective "end caps" on people's chromosomes - their coiled strands of DNA. Worn-down telomeres have been linked to quicker aging and greater incidence of heart disease, but, the UCSF researchers found, omega-3 fatty acids seem to protect people's telomeres. "We found a very clear association that increasing levels of the amount of omega-3 fish oil in the blood was associated with a decrease in the rate of biological aging," Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far said to Reuters. The researchers only examined people who had a history of heart disease, and they cautioned that they have yet to apply their methods to healthy people. But, suggested Farzaneh-Far, "There is no reason to think that [there] wouldn't" be a connection between fish oil and slowed-down cellular aging. Fish oil is just one source of omega-3s. Leafy green vegetables, flaxseed oil and walnuts are high in the acids, too. A separate study performed at the University of Southampton in England found that omega-3s helped intensive care patients recover more quickly. The fatty acids' benefits are manifold, it appears.  |
