Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging
Posted: January 20th, 2010, 11:13 am
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Wellness/fish- ... id=9606251
Heart disease patients have long been encouraged to eat more fish or take fish oil supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids. The reason? People who do, tend to live longer.
Researchers have discovered a clue to slowing down the aging process.Now, some say a study out this evening in the Journal of the American Medical Association might explain why.
Specifically, the researchers behind the study report that for heart disease patients, omega-3 fatty acids may protect against death and illness by slowing biological aging.
However, the findings were met with skepticism from some cardiac experts who said the study had serious limitations.
In the study, Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far of the University of California San Francisco and colleagues followed more than 600 men with heart disease and found those taking the most omega-3 appeared "biologically younger" -- that is, the ends of their chromosomes, called telomeres, looked longer and healthier.
Heart disease patients have long been encouraged to eat more fish or take fish oil supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids. The reason? People who do, tend to live longer.
Researchers have discovered a clue to slowing down the aging process.Now, some say a study out this evening in the Journal of the American Medical Association might explain why.
Specifically, the researchers behind the study report that for heart disease patients, omega-3 fatty acids may protect against death and illness by slowing biological aging.
However, the findings were met with skepticism from some cardiac experts who said the study had serious limitations.
In the study, Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far of the University of California San Francisco and colleagues followed more than 600 men with heart disease and found those taking the most omega-3 appeared "biologically younger" -- that is, the ends of their chromosomes, called telomeres, looked longer and healthier.
