Supplements of omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA for 6 months kept the cells of elderly people younger than supplements of a plant based omega 6 fatty acid.
That was the gist of a new research paper published in the journal Nutrition. The “age” of the cells in this case was referring to the length of their telomeres, a repetitive sequence of DNA that protects the end of the chromosome from fusion with neighbouring chromosomes or deterioration. Relatively few reports of the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids have focussed on telomeres.
The researchers have pointed out a few limitation to the study such as the low level of participants but still think this warrants further study with more people.
The paper was made available ahead of print on the 3rd October.