Omega-3s Slow Biological Aging

Food for the Heart

In a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers concluded that omega-3 fatty acids may slow biological aging in heart disease patients. Increased dietary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids is associated with prolonged survival in patients with coronary heart disease, the report says.

Omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation, blood clotting, and cell proliferation, while those from omega-3 fatty acids decrease those functions. Both must be in balance to maintain good health. But in Western diets high in processed foods, omega-6 fatty acids outnumber omega-3 fatty acids 20:1. In Japan, however, the ratio is 4:1 because their diet is high in fish.

Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids are mainly found in fish such as swordfish, lake trout, blue fish, tuna, black cod, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring, but can also be found in wheat germ, free-range beef and poultry, kidney beans, navy beans, tofu, winter and summer squash, raspberries, strawberries, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, romaine lettuce, and collard greens.