Most of us are very familiar with our circadian rhythm — an internal clock that controls our sleep-wake cycle and other bodily processes that run on a 24-hour schedule.
But you may not know a few other clocks govern our bodies. The biological clock regulates the circadian clock and other peripheral clocks that handle functions across our cells, tissues and organs. And the master clock is a cluster of nerve cells in the brain’s hypothalamus that, as its name implies, runs all the other clocks in the human body.
Then there’s the so-called epigenetic clock, a group of biomarkers that indicate biological aging. If you’re interested in staying as young as possible for as long as possible, this is the clock you want to pay closer attention to.
Scientists involved in aging research have been able to take these known biomarkers and create DNA methylation clocks to measure the impact of variables and how they may impact human aging.
Using three such clocks, an international team of researchers has found that if you’d like to slow biological aging, even late in life, there’s one nutrient you’ll want to take every day…
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Vitamin D, Omega-3 and your epigenetic clock
Almost 800 Swiss participants in the European DO-HEALTH study took part in specific interventions to see how they impacted their epigenetic clocks, including:
- 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day;
- One gram of omega-3 fatty acids per day;
- And a strength training program.
At first, the interventions tested showed benefits on one epigenetic clock, PhenoAge, but not on the others. However, in the post-hoc study, a follow-up analysis conducted after the main study, omega-3s proved much more effective than previously thought.
According to those results, one gram of omega-3 daily slowed aging on three of four DNA methylation clocks — PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE — by 2.9 months to 3.8 months over three years.
“One of the most critical questions in the field of rejuvenation is whether a treatment exists that can effectively rejuvenate humans, not just mice,” says co-author Dr. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari of the University of Zurich.
“Given the well-documented health benefits of omega-3, we explored whether it also influences the most reliable molecular markers of biological age: epigenetic clocks,” Bischoff-Ferrari told MedPage Today. “Our findings show a robust signal that omega-3 supplementation — algae-based and one gram per day — rejuvenated biological age by, on average, three months in three years.”
But that’s not all they discovered…
Other DO-HEALTH analyses in small samples saw that omega-3 supplementation lowered the risk of falling. In contrast, a combination of omega-3, vitamin D and exercise lowered risks of pre-frailty and invasive cancer.
The DO-HEALTH participants had a mean age of 75 at the start of the study, and 59 percent were women. About half were considered healthy agers, meaning they were free of chronic diseases, disabilities, cognitive impairments and mental health limitations. Most participants were physically active, with 29% active one to three times a week and 59% active more than that.
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just one gram of omega-3s a day
Of course, we already know that people with higher intake of omega-3s live longer. This new discovery means they can maintain their health and vitality while they do!
Fatty fish is a good source of omega-3s. However, depending on the fish, you would have to eat one to two servings per day to get the daily dose of one gram used in the study.
One thing to note, though, is that this study was done on algae-based omega-3s, so I did a little more research: Algae-based omega-3s come from algae grown in the ocean or commercially in tanks or ponds. It’s a source popular among vegans.
If you’re not vegan, omega-3s from krill oil may be the next best thing. Krill are tiny crustaceans that feed on ocean algae.
Not only is krill oil better absorbed than other types of fish oil, but you don’t have to worry about fish burps. Krill also contains astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that challenges aging, is anti-inflammatory and contains higher amounts of EPA — the omega form that blocks pain.
Sources:
1. Omega-3 Daily May Slow Biological Aging — MedPage Today
2. 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 — Nature Aging
3. Daily Rhythms of the Body and the Biological Clock — Frontiers
4. Circadian Rhythms — National Institute of General Medical Sciences
5. Circadian Rhythm — Sleep Foundation
6. Circadian Rhythms and the Brain — Harvard Medical School
7. Which Fish is the richest in Omega-3s? — Seafood Nutrition Partnership