COMBINING SUPPLEMENTS AND EXCISE MAY LOW AGING

Charles Hoctor, Staff Writer

About 25% of individuals in the United States aged 65 and above experience fair or poor health. Although we cannot alter our actual age, adopting certain lifestyle habits can decelerate biological aging and postpone the development of chronic illnesses and physical weakness.

A recent clinical study revealed that omega-3 fatty acid supplements slightly reduce the pace of biological aging. This effect is enhanced when paired with vitamin D supplements and a home exercise routine.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, a well-known figure in the natural health field and a board-certified osteopathic physician specializing in family medicine, supports the idea that lifestyle choices can decelerate aging. However, he expresses reservations about certain aspects of the study’s conclusions.

In an email to The Epoch Times, he stated, “Using supplements alone is a weak alternative to obtaining the nutrients your body is naturally designed to absorb.” Further in the article, he offers his own suggestions for slowing the aging process.

Study Results
The DO-HEALTH clinical trial, featured in Nature Aging, consisted of two phases: an earlier phase and a more recent one. The initial phase identified three interventions associated with improved health during aging, while the latest phase demonstrated that these same interventions also contributed to enhanced biological aging.

Connections to Health Improvements
Dr. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, the lead researcher and a geriatric medicine expert from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, shared insights about the study in an email to The Epoch Times.

In the earlier phase, which included over 2,100 generally healthy adults aged 70 and above, notable benefits were observed. “Omega-3 fatty acid supplements decreased fall rates by 10 percent and infection rates by as much as 13 percent,” she explained. “Additionally, combining omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise reduced the likelihood of pre-frailty by 39 percent and invasive cancer by 61 percent.”

Interventions and Biological Aging
Following the health benefits observed in the initial phase, the research team launched the current phase of the DO-HEALTH trial to investigate whether these interventions could also slow biological aging. To assess this, they relied on epigenetic clocks, widely regarded as the most accurate molecular indicators of biological age.

Epigenetics encompasses not just the genes we inherit but also how those genes are expressed and how their expression evolves over time due to environmental influences.

Steve Horvath, a coauthor of the trial, creator of epigenetic clocks, and principal investigator at Altos Labs, elaborated on this concept in an email to The Epoch Times. “Epigenetic clocks reflect aging at a molecular level,” he explained. “They enable scientists to gauge a person’s age and mortality risk through chemical changes in DNA. These modifications don’t change the DNA sequence itself but can influence gene expression, which controls gene activity—similar to a dimmer switch adjusting a light’s intensity.”

The current phase of the DO-HEALTH trial included 777 participants over 70 years old and lasted three years. Researchers evaluated eight treatment combinations, including a placebo group, incorporating:

• A daily 1-gram omega-3 fatty acid supplement derived from marine algae
• A daily 2,000 IU vitamin D supplement
• 30 minutes of at-home strength training three times weekly

“Our results from epigenetic clocks suggest that omega-3 supplementation meaningfully slows biological aging in humans,” said Bischoff-Ferrari. “When combined with vitamin D and exercise, this effect may be amplified, reducing biological age by 3–4 months over three years.”

She noted that although these changes may appear modest, if maintained over time, they could significantly impact public health.

Omega-3s: Supplements vs. Food Sources
A 2020 review in Nutrients aligns with the DO-HEALTH trial’s finding that omega-3 fatty acid supplements may support healthier aging. It suggested that these supplements could mitigate inflammation tied to age-related chronic conditions, such as muscle loss and frailty. However, the authors cautioned that the evidence quality is often limited, underscoring the need for further studies.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, however, challenges the trial’s endorsement of omega-3 supplements for slowing aging, favoring dietary sources instead. “The anti-aging benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are tenuous at best,” he remarked in an email to The Epoch Times. “While some research, like the DO-HEALTH trial, points to advantages, the body has a limited capacity to use them. Overconsumption—particularly from supplements—could increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a serious heart rhythm issue.”

This concern is backed by a 2022 study in Circulation, which found that omega-3 fatty acids can thin and soften the membranes of heart muscle cells, altering their properties and potentially disrupting the electrical signals needed for regular heartbeats.

Mercola emphasized that the most consistent benefits of omega-3s in early human studies came from populations eating nutrient-rich whole foods, like wild-caught fish, rather than concentrated supplements. “Moderate intake through diet suffices to promote health without the hazards tied to high-dose supplements,” he concluded.