Taking fish oil supplements is said to protect against heart disease, improve survival rates after a heart attack, reduce mental decline in old age and help to prevent age-related changes in the eye that can lead to blindness. Research has also shown that rodents live one-third longer when given a diet enriched with fish-derived omega-3.
Although omega-3 fatty acids have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and lower levels of some blood fats, the mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood. The new research suggests that omega-3 has a direct effect on biological ageing by slowing down the rate at which protective caps on the ends of chromosomes shorten.
The caps, called telomeres, are made from copied strands of DNA and have a similar function to bookends or the plastic ends of shoelaces. They prevent the ends of chromosomes – the "packages" of DNA in the cell nucleus – becoming damaged and keep the DNA organised and contained.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The good oil
Fish oil slows burn of genetic fuse in ageing | Science | The Guardian
My doctor always encourages me to take it so I do. It's meant to be good for your mood as well.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I keep thinking I should start taking it, but have never gotten around to it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, my mother for a couple of years used to give me some oily capsule vitamin, but I think it was maybe A&D? I don't recall why she started taking them; someone must have recommended it, as apart from that she was never into vitamins or health food.