Why Omega-3 Slows Down Aging

by admin on January 23, 2010

Omega-3 fatty acids may slow the aging process.   That’s what researchers with the University of California believe.

A team lead by Dr. Farzaneh-Far, a cardiovascular epidemiologist and clinical cardiologist has been looking at people who have cardiovascular disease and include high levels of Omega-3 in their diets.

They have found that a possible benefit of Omega-3 may be the shortening of the length of the telomere.   The telomere is a chromosome marker of biological aging.

Omega-3 telomere

The telomere appears at the end of a chromosome.  It plays a role in the reproduction, the replication and the strength of the chromosome.  Because the telomere is impacted by Omega-3, Dr. Far’s team suspects there may be a link between Omega-3 and the aging process we were previously unaware of.

The longer the telomere, the more pronounced the effects of aging.

The University of California San Francisco study states;

Levels of DHA+EPA were associated with less telomere shortening before and after sequential adjustment for established risk factors and potential confounders. Each 1-standard deviation increase in DHA+EPA levels was associated with a 32 percent reduction in the odds of telomere shortening.
Source: JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association

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Grass Fed Beef Delivers Omega-3

by admin on January 4, 2009

People in Arizona looking for Omega-3 in their beef can look at the cattle being raised on the Santa Rita Ranch.

South of Tucson, the ranch’s stock includes grass-fed cattle.  The Omega-3 benefit from the grass-fed cattle is significant, says rancher Andrew McGibbon.  He claims the Omega-3 levels he tests can be 5 times higher than the fatty acid levels found in Salmon.

The Santa Rita Ranch sells grass fed beef directly to consumers.

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Fish Oil and Football Players: An Omega-3 Touchdown

December 31, 2008

Omega-3 is part of the Pittsburgh Steelers playbook.
“Our research and literature review illustrated rather dramatic improvements in the blood lipid profiles of professional football players who used a moderately high dose of omega-3 EFA fish oil supplementation. These results suggest a strong benefit for lessening heart disease risk factors in football players and possibly other [...]

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Cancer Prevention with Omega-3 Fatty Acids: No Proven Benefits

December 30, 2008

Omega-3 is a bit of a victim of its own success… for all of the substantiated claims of the benefits it provides the brain, the heart and other organs, there is nothing to suggest it can help reduce the risk of cancers.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed articles published over the past 40 [...]

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The Omega-3 Benefits of Acai

December 29, 2008

Acai seems to be the poster child for all sorts of health benefits, and it does indeed contain Omega-3 fatty acids.
Acai also contains Omega-6 and Omega-9. Each of these can lower the so-called bad cholesterol, or LDL, and each can maintain our HDL, or good cholesterol.
Fatty acai berries most often are harvested from Palm [...]

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The Mayo Clinic’s Position on Omega-3

December 29, 2008

“Thousands of research studies have documented how the oils known as omega-3 fatty acids can benefit the cardiovascular system, particularly among people diagnosed with coronary artery disease…The most compelling evidence for the cardiovascular benefit provided by omega-3 fatty acids comes from three large controlled trials of 32,000 participants randomized to receive omega-3 fatty acid supplements [...]

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Omega-3 Additives: A Creative Canadian Opens Up the Omega-3 Floodgates

December 28, 2008

There’s no shortage of food products ready to take on Omega-3.  That’s how Larry Helm sees it.
Larry’s the CEO at OmegaNutrel, a Cambridge, Ontario Canada-based supplement manufacturer.  But these Omega-3 supplements don’t wind up in containers in health food stores.  They are mixed with feed for animals and help produce all sorts of Omega-3 enriched [...]

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Omega-3 and Osteoporosis: Still More Questions Than Answers

December 27, 2008

Can Omega-3 help ease the effects of Osteoporosis?  Research conducted for the Office of Dietary Supplements at the U.S. National Institutes of Health doesn’t provide a clear yes or no answer.
Five different studies have produced data that suggest the effects of Omega-3 fatty acids on mineral density of the bone are different.

But a somewhat different [...]

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Why Red Wine is a Source of Omega-3

December 26, 2008

Wine lovers are well-versed in the nutritional benefits of a glass of good grape.
But now, the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids are entering into the picture.  New research published in the January, 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition draws on data from a study conducted at the Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy.
Key [...]

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Black Walnuts: A Good Source of Omega-3

December 25, 2008

Black Walnuts typically don’t show up on the radar of people looking for strong sources of Omega-3.But if you’re looking for ways to include more natural Omega-3 in your diet, here are few reasons why Black Walnuts work well.
Along with Omega-3 fatty acids, the Black Walnut is rich in Manganese and Copper, each of which [...]

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