Above an intake of 1.103 grams of omega-3s per day, the benefits of omega-3s on age acceleration started to level off and the association wasn’t as strong and not statistically significant. To me, this suggests that if your intake is below this amount, you should increase your intake. If it’s at or above this level, it’s likely good enough…at least in the context of biological aging.
For males in the study, a lower threshold of 0.461 grams per day was identified, above which the association between omega-3 intake and age acceleration weakened. However, no omega-3 intake threshold was observed for females.
Who benefits the most?
A relevant question to explore is whether omega-3s might be associated with biological aging among people in different demographic groups or who differ in other health-related characteristics.
This study revealed a few interesting findings here:
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Females might derive a greater benefit from omega-3s than males.
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Adults older than 60 derive the greatest benefit from a higher omega-3 intake compared to younger age groups.
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People with high blood pressure derive more benefits from higher omega-3 intakes than people without high blood pressure.
On the other hand, smoking and drinking habits, physical activity levels, dietary quality, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, and BMI didn’t influence the relationship between omega-3 intake and aging.
So while I believe that everyone can benefit from increasing their omega-3 intake, this study would suggest that taking a personalized approach to supplementation might be the ideal strategy. One size may not fit all when it comes to omega-3. Consider your risk factors and lifestyle.
Final thoughts
Even though this study provides evidence of a threshold effect for omega-3 intake at just around 1 gram per day, I think most people would benefit from a higher intake through diet and supplements—2 to 3 grams per day—to achieve an omega-3 index of around 8% or more, which has been associated with a an 18% lower risk for all-cause mortality and a 13–20% lower risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer. I also bring this up because we don’t know if the participants in the study were supplementing with omega-3s in addition to what they were getting through their diet. If they were using supplements, then total intake was likely higher than that reported here.
A food-first approach to obtaining omega-3 fatty acids is ideal—fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are the best sources. But unless you’re eating oily fish daily, it’s going to be hard to consume 2–4 grams of omega-3s every day.
That’s why most people will benefit from taking a quality omega-3 supplement by selecting a third-party validated product in triglyceride or phospholipid form or opting for a prescription omega-3 product. For help on choosing an omega-3 supplement and other details on omega-3s, download the free Omega-3 Supplementation Guide.
For an even deeper dive into omega-3s, check out our topic page!
Don’t disregard omega-3 fatty acids—they just might be the key to a longer, healthier life!
Additional references
To hear more about the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids, check out my Q&A session #39.
