Further evidence may lead to more recommendations that individuals start taking nutritional supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, as it has been discovered that coronary heart disease patients who had higher levels of the nutrient had a lower rate of cellular aging.
The study, which is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that patients who had a high dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids had a lower rate of telomere length, which is a chromosomal marker of biological aging.
Researchers studied 608 patients who suffered from coronary heart disease, which is caused by clogged arteries, and noted that patients who had a higher level of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood stream had a 32 percent reduction in the chance of telomere shortening, which is a good sign for living longer.
“These findings raise the possibility that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against cellular aging in patients with coronary heart disease,” the researchers write.
Previous studies have shown the several health benefits from omega-3 fatty acids with coronary heart disease patients, but have never looked into how the nutrient affects cell life.
