Rejuvalife Vitality Institute
Beverly Hills CA

Fish Oils May Slow Genetic Aging

Now there is more good news for all of you that are taking your Fish oil, and more good reason to if you are not. Happily, a recent study, supported by grants from the American Heart Association and the Bernard and Barbro Foundation, shows that omega-3 fatty acids may slow biological aging.

Researcher Ramin Farzaneh-Far, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, and his colleagues followed 608 patients with known coronary artery disease for a period of five years. Blood tests were taken to identify their telomere lengths at the beginning and end of the study. Research has shown that the length of telomeres may be a marker of biological age; theoretically, the longer one’s telomeres, the younger one is, biologically speaking. Therefore, measuring telomere length at both the beginning and end of the study enabled the researchers to understand how rapidly their telomeres were shortening, i.e., how quickly (or slowly) each patient was biologically aging. “The results of our study underscore the recommendations of the American Heart Association, that patients with known coronary artery disease should be getting at least one gram a day of omega-3 fish oil,” Farzaneh-Far said.

Biological age differs from actual age, as it takes into account both genetics and environmental stressors that damage cells. For example, one of two 45-year-old men may have a younger biological age based on genetic factors, even though both have similar habits. It pays to have “good genes,” and not just for beauty but for longevity, as well. However, this study suggests that upping your intake of omega-3 may help you lower your biological age.

So how do omega – 3s stop telomeres from getting smaller and, therefore, prolong life?

Oxidative stress is a major driver of telomere shortening and aging. Oxidative damage causes stress on normal body functions, leading to a gradual loss of vital functions later in life. This process is commonly believed to occur as a result of the aging process. The researchers agreed that the study was limited, at it made no provision for proof of cause and effect. In other words, there was no placebo used, and there was no consideration of other lifestyle issues—perhaps those with the highest levels of omega-3’s also did other things that kept their telomeres longer. This was a complaint by some physicians.

Further, since the research focused on telomere length in leukocytes, the findings might not be the same for heart cells. I certainly very much agree that omega-3 fatty acids have a positive effect on the fats that circulate through the body, i.e., triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are a risk factor for heart disease. They also have a potent positive impact on lipids that circulate in the blood stream and damage the heart. The effects of omega-3 fatty acids on lipids are still the best advertisement for their use to prevent heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and non-HDL cholesterol, and stabilize cell membranes — all of which may reduce risk for coronary artery disease and sudden cardiac death.

So remember to take your fish oil daily!

More from My Trip to China

I finally had a few moments to download some photos from my trip to China, though I have many, many more to come!

I was invited to speak at two conferences for Chinese anti-aging physicians and to tour the facilities of my host, Dr. Tianyongchen. A very gracious host, Dr. Tian’s welcoming staff held a nice reception for me, and provided me with an entire entourage during my stay, including my own driver and interpreter, and they took care of every need, making sure I was comfortable and happy all the time.

Dr. Tien and I at his offices, with my welcome banner in the background

I spoke at two different conferences, but enough about the boring business part.  I also toured three cities, saw some amazing sites, met some incredible people, and had some great food – I ate some of everything offered, even if I didn’t know what it was. (Well, almost – I gave a definitive NO to the chicken feet.)  Honestly, the food was different than our American concept of Chinese food, and it was either very, very good, or…not very good at all. But my hosts were intent on making me happy, asking “You don’t like that? Try this!” many times during the trip. The food is actually very healthy, with many spices we don’t use in the United States that I’m aware of. I really enjoyed the Hot Pot, and I’m looking for a good one here in L.A. Any recommendations?

Me and my "entourage" during one of many great meals

Beijing was huge, with enormous construction projects everywhere. It’s a booming city, over 20 million people live there, with crazy traffic – they have no rules for driving! It’s a bit chaotic, to say the least, and makes Los Angeles look a sleepy little town, if you can believe that. It’s busy and congested, and the dense population is a bit overwhelming, but they were nothing but warm, friendly and welcoming.

I loved seeing the Forbidden City, a huge expanse of property that really defies adequate description. To think that these hundreds of acres and dozens of buildings were built many hundreds of years ago to house emperors from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, spanning over five centuries. It’s hard to describe the scale of it, the vastness, but it was truly a wonderful site. (More on the Forbidden City.)

Tiananmen Square across the street from the Forbidden City

In front of Mao's picture at the Emperor's Gate to the Forbidden City

My group inside the Forbidden City

I also visited Tiananmen Square just after the People’s Republic of China’s 60th anniversary celebration. There were 46 beautifully decorated parade floats parked on display in Tiananmen Square, and I’ll post photos of some of them them soon, and tell you more about the other cities we visited then, too.

感谢读书,

(That’s “thanks for reading” in Chinese…)

Andre Berger, M.D.