A study by researchers at the University of Zürich has bolstered evidence linking omega-3s with slower biological ageing. 

Previous studies have shown that omega-3s alter the activity of genes, slowing the ageing process. In the new study, and for the first time, the Zürich team used ‘epigenetic clocks’ to measure the ageing process.

The study shows that over a three year period people who took a daily omega-3 supplement aged around three months less than those who didn’t. But it also found that the anti-ageing effects were amplified if omega-3s were taken alongside vitamin D. When strength training was aded to the equation the benefits were even more powerful. 

Epigenetic clocks offer a way to make biological ageing scientifically measurable. They record chemical modifications of the DNA molecule, known as methylation, and thus quantify the difference between biological and chronological ageing. Using data from its own DO-HEALTH study, the team led by Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, in collaboration with Steve Horvath, senior researcher at Altos Labs Cambridge (UK), investigated the effect of omega-3s and/or vitamin D and/or simple strength training on biological aging in 777 people over the age of 70.  

Eight different treatment combinations were tested during the three-year study: subjects took 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D and/or 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids (from algae) daily and/or performed 30 minutes of strength training at home three times a week. 

When the researchers analyzed the blood samples, they found that taking omega-3 fatty acids slowed down biological aging across several epigenetic clocks by up to four months – regardless of subjects’ gender, age or body mass index. The combination of omega-3, vitamin D and strength training proved to be even more effective, according to one of the four epigenetic clocks used. 

“This result extends our previous findings from the DO-HEALTH study, in which these three factors combined had the greatest impact on reducing the risk of cancer and preventing premature frailty over a three-year period, to slowing down the biological aging process,” says Bischoff-Ferrari. Each of these measures works through different mechanisms that complement each other and, when combined, result in a heightened overall effect, according to the study author. 

Acknowledging limitations to the study, Bischoff-Ferrari explained: “There is no generally accepted gold standard for measuring biological age. However, we analyzed the best currently validated epigenetic clocks, which reflect the state of the art.” 

To further advance the clinical application of biological clocks, Bischoff-Ferrari, together with leading international researchers in the Global Health Span Extension Consortium, plans to use DO-HEALTH and other global intervention studies as a validation platform for novel biomarkers of ageing.