Omega-3, Vitamin D and Exercise: A Formula for Youth?

Omega-3 might be your secret weapon against aging! New research links it to a slower biological clock- discover how it works.

Highlights:

Omega-3 supplements alone slowed biological aging in multiple DNA methylation tests
Combining omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise enhanced anti-aging effects
Vitamin D alone had no significant impact on biological aging

Omega-3 supplements, either alone or in conjunction with a vitamin D and exercise regimen, were linked to a slowing in four biological age tests that depend on DNA methylation, according to a recent study of the DO-HEALTH clinical trial published in Nature Aging (). The study was carried out in Switzerland at the University of Zurich.

For three years, 777 participants in the trial consumed 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, 1 g of omega-3 fatty acids daily, and/or an exercise regimen at home. Participants were assessed using four new DNA methylation indicators of biological aging (PhenoAge, GrimAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE) along the course of the treatment.

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‘Did you know?
Omega-3 fatty acids don’t just boost heart health- they might help slow down your biological clock! Science is catching up with what nature already knew. #antiaging #omega3 #medindia’

Omega-3: The Star Player in Slowing Aging

The DNAm clocks PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE were all slowed by omega-3 alone, while PhenoAge benefited from all three treatments.

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Vitamin D and Exercise: Do They Help Slow Aging Too?

Exercise and vitamin D treatment together demonstrated a slight delay of the epigenetic clock, whereas vitamin D treatment alone had no discernible effect on biological age assessments.

Overall, standardized effects varied between 0.16 and 0.32 units (2.9-3.8 months) from baseline to year three. On the basis of PhenoAge, the study's authors concluded, "Our trial shows a small protective effect of omega-3 treatment on slowing biological aging over three years across several clocks, with an additive protective effect of omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise."

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Measuring Aging Through DNA Methylation

The scientists pointed out that numerous DNA methylation clocks have been linked in the past to age-related disease and mortality. According to them, DO-HEALTH is the first bigger clinical trial to assess these interactions, even though smaller clinical studies have discovered links between each of the therapies and modifications in epigenetic clock measurements.

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 - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39900648/)

Source-Medindia

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