(NaturalNews) Research has now shown that adding Omega-3 fatty acids to the diet can increase the survival rate of those with coronary heart disease. Omega-3s have also been shown to slow down the aging process. The marker used to determine these findings was a part of the DNA strand called telomeres. The research concluded that high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood slowed the aging process by as much as five years.

Telomeres
Telomeres are part of the DNA. They sit at the end of chromosomes, looking like red caps on the end of the DNA strands. Sometimes described as "plastic tips of shoelaces", telomeres protect the genes and help them to divide properly. Telomeres shorten with age. They also shorten from infection, smoking, lack of exercise, and obesity. Previous research has identified a relationship between short telomeres, congestive heart failure, and strokes. Additional studies showed that short telomeres are a risk factor for coronary heart disease.

JAMA Research on Omega-3 and Aging
The recent study was conducted at the University of California in San Francisco, and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The 608 subjects who had coronary heart disease were evaluated via blood tests to see how much Omega-3 fatty acids were in their blood (DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Those who had high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood had a slower rate of telomere shortening, translating to a reversal of the aging process by five years. The exact mechanism that slows the shortening of the telomeres is not known, but it is suspected that it relates to oxidative stress or to increased action of the enzyme telomerase that is stimulated by the Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood.

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