Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Aging
lower levels of intestinal SCFA in elderly adults is associated with aging-related maladies such as constipation, appetite disturbances, frailty, weight loss, cognitive decline, high blood pressure, vitamin D deficiency, diabetes, arthritis, sarcopenia, and more.16 Boosting SCFA levels in the gut offers a significant contribution towards graceful aging. However, this isn’t the only omega-3-related mechanism tied to longevity. It appears that marine-based fatty acids are directly related to telomere length.
TELOMERES AND OMEGA - 3 FATTY ACIDS Telomeres are structures at the end of each strand of DNA that protect chromosomes. With each cellular replication cycle, telomeres shorten, triggering senescence (aging) and apoptosis (cell death), which may be enhanced by stress and inflammation.17 As telomeres shorten, physical signs of aging appear and the risk of age-related diseases, such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and coronary artery disease, increases. The rate of shortening is affected by genetics, diet, environment, inflammation, and lifestyle. Telomere length is thus a fundamental indicator of biological age, which means that reducing telomere shortening is central to human longevity research. A prospective cohort study of 608 patients with coronary artery disease investigated serum omega-3 fatty acid levels in relation to telomere length.18 Fasting blood samples were taken from volunteers at a baseline examination and in a 5-year follow up visit. Average telomere length was measured from the DNA from blood samples. Results indicated that higher baseline omega-3 blood levels were associated with an increase in telomere length, regardless of other lifestyle factors. In fact, for each standard deviation increase in baseline omega-3 levels, there was a 32% decrease in telomere shortening.18 Similarly, in a double-blind, randomized trial, researchers assessed changes in telomere length in relation to omega-3 supplementation.19 This 4-month study involved 106 healthy, overweight individuals who were randomly divided into three groups. The high dose group (2.5 g/ day omega-3), low dose group (1.25 g/day omega-3) and a placebo group, who received corn oil supplements. At the end of the study the low dose group showed an
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increase in telomere length of 21 base pairs (bps), while the high dose group showed a 51 bps increase. The control group experienced a 43 bps decrease in telomere length. While these differences were not considered significant, researchers came to a fascinating conclusion. Omega-3 supplementation changed fatty acid ratios, specifically the omega-6:omega-3 ratios in the serum. For every unit decrease in n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio, there was a 20 bps increase in telomere length (p = 0.02), indicating that metabolism and intestinal absorption may affect how well these fats become incorporated into body tissues.19 This research, along with others, point to an important connection between inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune cell aging.
OMEGA - 3’S ENHANCE LONGEVITY AND PROMOTE GRACEFUL AGING: BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS In vivo and animal models help to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which omega-3 fatty acids affect telomere length. Researchers discovered that marine-based fatty acids affect aging due to their effect on the redox-telomereantioncogene axis.20 In a recent study, published in the journal Oncotarget, D-galactose was administered to mice in order to produce advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in vivo. This protocol is favored among researchers because it mimics the aging process and represents a well-known free radical theory of aging. Mice were then divided into groups to receive either fish oil, polyunsaturated fats, or corn oil. Blood samples were taken to assess the effects of various dietary fats on telomere length, telomerase activity, superoxidase activity, cerebral monoamine oxidase, redox activity, and activation of the antioncogene, a gene which suppresses tumor growth. Similar to the concept of “inflammaging”, the free radical theory implies that organisms age due to oxidation of tissue and accumulation of free radicals. This is accompanied by the loss of telomere length and the increase in physical signs of aging.20 Free radicals, such as superoxide, also impair the activity of telomerase, the enzyme involved in telomere lengthening. Superoxidase activity is typically diminished in people of advanced age and the resulting surge in free radicals damages telomeres, causing senescence and cellular aging. Results from this study indicate that fish oil supplementation
ANTI-AGING MEDICAL NEWS
• SUMMER 2020
