Each participant engaged in phone discussions every three months, and yearly evaluations and blood tests – including DNA extraction and ‘biobanking’ – were gathered each year of the research as well.
Shockingly – vitamins and regular exercise are good for you (Getty Stock Images)
The researchers then employed four biological age metrics – ‘DNAm measures’ – to assess the effects of each of the supplements on the participants’ biological aging: PhenoAge which estimates an individual’s biological age based on their health and additional factors; GrimAge which serves as a DNA-based biomarker forecasting lifespan and healthspan; GrimAge2 which relates to mortality and the likelihood of experiencing a disease or medical condition; and DunedinPACE measuring the speed of biological aging.
Findings
Omega-3 supplementation exhibited the ‘most evident’ indication of contributing to slower aging in three out of the four DNAm measures.
“The effect of the DO-HEALTH interventions on DunedinPACE was somewhat more limited (approximately a 1 percent decrease in the pace of aging). However, the reductions in PhenoAge and GrimAge2 by 2.9–3.8 months over three years were more pronounced. Moreover, even minor alterations in biological aging, if maintained, may lead to significant impacts on population health.”
The study also identified that participants with ‘lower initial levels of omega-3’ experienced much larger changes after taking the supplement, highlighting that ‘personalized strategies’ for supplement usage are advantageous.
Omega-3 alone decelerated the DNAm clocks PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE, while all three treatments – omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise – provided combined benefits on PhenoAge.
The trial concluded that omega-3 treatment has a ‘minor protective effect’ on ‘hindering biological aging over three years across several clocks’ with ‘standardized effects ranging from 2.9-3.8 months’.
Although the group does ‘recognize the constraints’ of the study, indicating there ‘is no standard measure of biological aging’ and the concentration on DNA and the research occurring over a three-year period comes with ‘specific limitations,’ the latter implies that the ‘effects of the interventions on the clocks for long-term survival are uncertain’.
It concluded: “In summary, our analysis offers evidence endorsing the geroprotective advantages of omega-3 supplementation and further indicates the benefits of additive combinations of omega-3 supplementation with vitamin D supplementation and exercise.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Coneyl Jay