In our
increasingly aging society, it is worth asking: what can we do to ensure that
we don't just live longer lives, but also healthier ones? New research suggests
one possible answer — eat more seafood!
A new study, led by Heidi Lai from the Friedman School of
Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, MA, investigates
the link between high consumption of omega-3-rich seafood and healthy aging.
Lai and colleagues define "healthy aging" as
"meaningful lifespan without chronic diseases and with intact physical and
mental function."
As the researchers explain in their paper, the problem of
healthy aging is increasingly important. Populations are aging rapidly across
the globe and the rates of chronic disease along with them.
So, more and more research is looking into what constitutes
healthy aging and what we can do to achieve it. In this regard, the studies on
the link between omega-3 fatty acids and age-related
chronic disease have been somewhat inconsistent.
For instance, some studies referenced by Lai and colleagues have
found an inverse relation between omega-3 consumption and cardiovascular
disease. However, others have found that omega-3 intake correlates with a
higher incidence of prostate
cancer.
Other studies have yielded "mixed or inconclusive"
results when it comes to omega-3s and "cancer, diabetes, lung disease, severe chronic kidney disease, and cognitive and
physical dysfunction."
So, the researchers set out to clarify this potentially
significant role that dietary omega-3 fatty acids play in the aging process.
The scientists published their
findings in the journal The BMJ.
Studying omega-3s and healthy aging
The team examined the circulating blood levels of omega-3 fatty
acids of 2,622 adults who were enrolled in the United States Cardiovascular
Health Study.
At the beginning of this study in 1992, the participants were 74
years old, on average. Their blood levels of omega-3s were measured then, 6
years later, and 13 years later.
The types of omega-3s considered in the study were
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), docosapentaenoic acid
(DPA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
The primary food source for the first three types
of omega-3s is fish — such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines —
and other seafood, while nuts, seeds, and plant oils contain ALA.
Lai and colleagues divided the participants into fifths, or
quintiles, based on their blood levels of omega-3s.
Risk of unhealthy aging 24 percent lower
Overall, by the end of the study period in 2015, 89 percent of
the participants had experienced age-related chronic diseases or mental or
physical dysfunction, whereas 11 percent aged healthily.
The analysis revealed that people in the
highest seafood-derived DPA consumption quintile were 24 percent less likely to
age unhealthily than those who consumed the least.
Moreover, participants in the top three DPA-consuming quintiles were
18-21 percent less likely to experience unhealthy aging.
Finally, seafood-derived DHA and ALA obtained from plants did
not correlate with healthy aging. Lai and colleagues point out that the study
is observational and cannot explain the mechanisms responsible for these
associations.
However, they believe that omega-3s may help keep blood
pressure and heart rate in check, as well as reduce inflammation.
Lai and colleagues conclude:
"These findings
encourage the need for further investigations into plausible biological
mechanisms and interventions related to [omega-3 fatty acids] for maintenance
of healthy aging, and support guidelines for increased dietary consumption of
fish among older adults."
In an editorial that
accompanies the article, professor Yeyi Zhu of the Kaiser Permanente Northern
California Division of Research in Oakland, CA, and her colleagues say that the
new research makes "a valuable contribution" in the study of omega-3
fatty acids and aging.
However, they warn, "Epidemiologic associations cannot
infer causality." Therefore, write Prof. Zhu and her colleagues, "we
caution against using these findings to inform public health policy or
nutritional guidelines."
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