1 Gram Of This Nutrient Can Slow Down Ageing (And It’s Very Common!)

When you hit a, let’s say, certain age, you notice that anti-ageing promises are everywhere. From foods to under-eye moisturisers, it seems that we can all become Peter Pan if we simply buy enough products.

However, how much are these products doing for our health? Yes, maybe we look younger but is this race to de-age ourselves actually impacting the way our body ages?

Well, according to a new study, a daily intake of just one gram of omega-3s can slow down biological ageing by up to four months.

In the study which took place over three years, researchers found that healthy older people who took one gram of the fatty acid for three years were found to have aged three months less than others on the trial, as measured by biological markers.

Biological markers include DNA, the length of telomere chromosones, bodily fluid tests which look at inflammation levels, metabolic markers, such as insulin or glucose, hormone levels or markers of the immune system.

Additional vitamin D and regular exercise boosted the effect to nearly four months, researchers found.

Speaking to The Guardian about this study, Steve Horvath, a senior author at Altos Labs in Cambridge, said it served as a prototype for future research on reversing ageing: “In my opinion, 70 is the new 50. Clearly, these interventions are not the cure against ageing.

“However, the findings reinforce my commitment to taking a low-dose omega-3, vitamin D, and exercising regularly, all in moderation.”

According to the health experts at Harvard Health, oily fish are great sources of the nutrient. These include:

• salmon
• mackerel
• trout
• sardines
• sea bass

However, it can also be found in plant-based foods such as:

• flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• chia seeds
• walnuts
• canola oil
• soybean oil

Of course, omega 3 supplements are also available in most supermarkets and health food shops.