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.

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

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.

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 athletes throughout their active years.”

Dr. Anthony Yates
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Team Physician, Pittsburgh Steelers.

The research was done during the Pittsburgh Steelers 2006-7 season. 36 members of the team were involved.

Key results: dramatic increases in the level of healthy fats DHA and EPAs. Compared with players who were in the study and did not take the Omega-3 supplements, DHA levels were up more than 100% and EPA levels up more than 300%.

Source:
Sports Health: a Multidisciplinary Approach

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 years to try and identify credible research.

Scientists studied 38 articles dealing with the impact of Omega-3 fatty acids on the incidence of tumors. 11 different types of cancer were examined.

The conclusion…

“A large body of literature spanning numerous cohorts from many countries and with different demographic characteristics does not provide evidence to suggest a significant association between omega-3 fatty acids and cancer incidence. Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids is unlikely to prevent cancer.”

Sources:

Journal of the American Medical Association
Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center

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 trees in Brazil. Clinical research which quantifies the Omega-3 benefits of the popular antioxidant berry.

Clinical trials have shown that acai is not helpful in treating cancers.

“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 containing DHA and EPA….These trials showed reductions in cardiovascular events of 19 percent to 45 percent. Overall, these findings suggest that intake of omega-3 fatty acids, whether from dietary sources or fish oil supplements, should be increased, especially in those with or at risk for coronary artery disease.”

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 products, from ice cream to cheese.

“This has global ramifications for the dairy and beef industry.” Says Helm.  The firm’s supplement has been patented and has approval from Canada’s Federal Food Inspection Agency.   The supplement which enriches the animal being fed does not cause any genetic modifications.

OmegaNutrel’s work started four years ago when supplements were added to the feed of a handful of herds of dairy cattle in Southern Ontario.

There is now an Omega-3 enriched ice cream on the market, Naturelle Plus, along with Silani Cheese.
The company’s goal is to expand distribution through a growing network on feed providers.

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 story comes from Sweden, where scientists found a connection between Omega-3 consumption and Bone Marrow Density.

The bottom line: no conclusive scientific evidence presently exists to support a claim that Omega-3 can prevent or ease the effects of Osteoporosis.

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 findings…

• A glass or two of wine each day can increase your Omega-3 fatty acids.

• Wine may impact the way the body metabolizes Omega-3s.  This may be a result of the ways the polyphenols in wine interact with Omega-3s.

• Drinking wine may boost the levels of HDL, the so-called “Good Cholesterol.”

• Beer drinkers also benefit from increased Omega-3s, but not to the extent wine drinkers do.

The researchers studied more than 1,600 participants in Great Britain, Belgium and Italy.  The “moderate” consumption of alcohol was defined as one drink a day for women and two drinks daily for men.

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 is effective in fighting free radicals.

Melatonin and other antioxidants are additional ingredients. It contains no cholesterol.

Black Walnuts are easily combined into all sorts of recipes, from home made ice cream to cookies and cakes.

To the best of our knowledge, no clinical trials have been conducted to determine the precise health benefits of Black Walnuts. All we know is that the ingredients add up to a desirable profile.