Can One Gram of Omega-3 Really Slow Aging? Here’s What Science Says
A new study involving over 700 older adults suggests that taking one gram of omega-3 daily may help slow biological aging, with effects visible in molecular markers known as epigenetic clocks.
When combined with vitamin D and regular exercise, the anti-aging benefits became even more pronounced, lowering the risks of frailty and cancer as well.
Omega-3 Linked to Slower Aging in Humans
Taking one gram of omega-3 each day may help slow biological aging in humans, according to a new analysis of clinical trial data involving more than 700 older adults over a three-year period. The results were published in Nature Aging.
Earlier studies have shown that reducing calorie intake can slow aging in humans. Other experiments, mainly in animals or small pilot studies, have suggested that vitamin D and omega-3 may also have anti-aging effects. However, whether these benefits apply to humans on a larger scale has remained uncertain.
Epigenetic Clocks and Study Design
To explore this further, researchers Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Steve Horvath, and their team used molecular tools called epigenetic clocks, which estimate biological aging based on patterns in DNA. They applied these tools in a clinical trial involving 777 adults aged 70 and older living in Switzerland.
Participants were divided into eight groups and followed for three years. Depending on their group, they received one or more of the following interventions: 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily, 1 gram of omega-3 daily, and/or a 30-minute home-based exercise program three times a week.
Omega-3 Slowed Aging by Months
In an analysis of blood samples, Bischoff-Ferrari and colleagues found that omega-3 consumption moderately slowed biological aging across several of the epigenetic clocks by up to 4 months. This finding was not dependent on the sex, age, or body mass index of the participant. Combining omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise was found to work even better, as shown by one of the tests.
Additionally, the authors also found that these three interventions together had the biggest impact on lowering cancer risk and preventing frailty over three years. Each intervention works through different but related mechanisms, and when combined, they reinforce each other, creating a stronger overall effect, the authors suggest.
Study Limitations and Demographics
The authors note that a key limitation of this work is that there is no standardized measure of biological aging, and that they opted for the most validated tests available. Likewise, they acknowledge that their sample of Swiss participants does not represent the average global population of adults aged 70 years and older.
Reference: “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” by Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Stephanie Gängler, Maud Wieczorek, Daniel W. Belsky, Joanne Ryan, Reto W. Kressig, Hannes B. Stähelin, Robert Theiler, Bess Dawson-Hughes, René Rizzoli, Bruno Vellas, Laure Rouch, Sophie Guyonnet, Andreas Egli, E. John Orav, Walter Willett and Steve Horvath, 3 February 2025, Nature Aging.
DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00793-y