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Omega-3s
and
Shoelaces
Keep
your
telomeres
intact
to
slow
down
cellular
aging
and
keep
diseases
at
bay.
Here’s
how.
Look
down
at
your
shoes.
See
those
little
plastic
things
at
the
end
of
your
shoelaces?
Those
are
called
“aglets.”
If
the
aglets
wear
out,
your
laces
fray,
making
it
hard
to
thread
them
through
the
eyelets
of
your
shoes.
In
a
nutshell,
that’s
how
chromosomes
age
and
deteriorate,
leading
to
all
sorts
of
things,
from
unhealthy
aging
to
disease.
See,
at
the
end
of
each
chromosomal
arm
or
“lace”
is
a
specialized
structure
known
as
a
telomere
composed
of
a
specific
sequence
of
nucleotides
and
associated
proteins.
In
effect,
it’s
one
of
the
chromosome’s
aglets.
Every
time
a
cell
divides,
these
aglets
get
shorter.
If
they
get
too
short,
they
unfold
and
fray
like
an
old
shoelace,
wreaking
havoc
on
your
health.
Each
cell
is
gifted
with
about
15,000
base
pairs
(the
pairs
of
nucleotides
connecting
complementary
strands
of
DNA
or
RNA),
and
each
time
a
cell
divides,
we
lose
about
250
of
them.
It’s
called
the
“end-replication
problem.”
In
effect,
the
chromosomes
are
being
worn
down
to
the
nub.
The
short
telomeres
that
caused
the
chromosomal
fraying
lead
to
replicative
senescence,
which
means
the
cell
is
too
old
to
divide.
Genetic
instability
ensues,
possibly
leading
to
cancer,
cellular
old
age,
or
programmed
cell
self-destruction
(apoptosis).
Tissue
growth
or
repair
is
handicapped.
If
enough
of
these
cells
reach
replicative
senescence,
the
organ
or
system
to
which
they
belong
might
fail,
leading
to
disease
or
death.
Too
bad
you
can’t
just
swap
out
frayed
telomeres
with
a
fresh
set
of
laces
and
reset
this
biological
clock.
But
there’s
hope.
Scientists
don’t
know
if
it’s
possible
to
lengthen
telomeres,
but
they
know
we
can
at
least
prevent
them
from
shortening
with
omega-3s,
primarily
fish
oil
(Buy
at
Amazon).
The
Hayflick
Limit
“The
degree
of
telomere
shortening
is
proportional
to
the
risk
of
death,”
said
the
authors
of
a
paper
on
the
effects
of
omega-3
fatty
acids
on
telomeres.
(Ogluszka,
et
al,
2022)
The
authors
first
had
to
tackle
the
question
of
exactly
how
telomere
length
relates
to
senescence.
The
news
is
humbling.
They
said
that
all
human
non-reproductive
cells
(everything
except
eggs
and
sperm)
are
slaves
to
the
Hayflick
limit:
human
cells
can
only
divide
a
certain
number
of
times.
In
the
case
of
fibroblasts
(cells
that
form
connective
tissue),
they
can
only
divide
about
50
times.
Once
the
cells
are
shortened
beyond
a
critical
length,
the
division
process
falls
apart.
Luckily,
there
appear
to
be
some
things
that
slow
down
the
clock
and
possibly
turn
it
back,
omega-3s
among
them.
The
Studies
Ogluszka
offered
a
sizeable
mound
of
evidence
supporting
the
role
of
omega-3s
on
telomere
length,
starting
with
a
study
of
more
than
600
patients
with
coronary
artery
disease
(CAD).
The
scientists
found
strong
evidence
for
an
association
between
omega-3
fatty
acid
consumption
and
telomere
length.
Likewise,
a
Chinese
study
compared
711
patients
with
CAD
to
638
CAD-free
controls
and
found
levels
of
omega-3
fatty
acids,
particularly
DHA
and
EPA,
positively
correlated
with
telomere
length.
A
study
involving
forty-six
obese
3
to
4-year-olds
found
that
they
had
shorter
telomeres
(in
leukocytes,
aka
white
blood
cells)
and
lower
intakes
of
DHA
than
children
of
normal
weight.
Another
study
showed
that
telomere
shortening
in
whole
blood
is
remedied
by
omega-3
fatty
acids.
Forty-four
elderly
people
were
divided
into
three
groups:
a
diet
rich
in
omega-6s,
an
EPA
group,
and
a
DHA
group.
Positive
changes
in
telomere
length
were
seen
in
the
group
with
the
greatest
increases
in
DHA
levels.
Several
rodent
studies
were
also
conducted.
One
studied
omega-3s
and
telomere
attrition
in
rat
testicles
and
found
a
positive
association
between
the
two.
More
importantly,
they
found
that
omega-3
supplementation
not
only
reduced
the
rate
of
telomere
attrition
but
also
elongated
hepatic
(liver)
telomeres.
In
short,
omega
3s
might
reverse
the
aging
process.
What
Accelerates
Telomere
Shortening?
Smoking,
alcohol,
stress,
and
lack
of
exercise.
All
those
abuses
cause
inflammation
and
oxidative
stress,
which
contribute
to
telomere
shortening.
Inflammation
spurs
the
production
of
radical
oxygen
species
(ROS)
and
they,
in
turn,
shorten
telomeres.
This
oxidative
stress
puts
the
kibosh
on
cells,
causing
the
survivors
to
undergo
more
cell
divisions,
thereby
getting
closer
to
their
Hayflick
limit.
ROS
may
also
attack
the
telomere
directly,
causing
breaks
in
individual
strands,
which
messes
up
the
whole
replication
process
and
leads
to
additional
telomere
shortening.
Omega-3s,
however,
are
associated
with
lower
levels
of
pro-inflammatory
markers,
along
with
higher
levels
of
several
anti-inflammatory
markers.
Lastly,
omega-3s
might
slow
down
the
rate
of
cell
division,
as
several
studies
indicate.
How
to
Get
More
Omega-3s
Supplementation
is
the
most
efficient
route.
Otherwise,
you’d
have
to
eat
a
boatload
of
fish
every
day
and
then
have
to
worry
about
all
that
mercury
you’re
putting
into
your
body.
Each
serving
of
Biotest’s
Flameout
(Buy
at
Amazon)
contains
an
oceanic
amount
of
omega
3s
–
a
combined
4200
mg.
of
EPA
and
DHA,
mostly
the
latter,
since
DHA
is
the
real
powerhouse
of
the
duo.
Add
to
that
Flameout’s
high
processing
standards.
It’s
purified
by
molecular
distillation
and
stringently
tested
for
PCBs,
dioxins,
mercury,
and
other
heavy
metals.
It
uses
a
self-emulsifying
delivery
system
to
make
it
virtually
odorless
and
better
absorbed.
One
serving
of
Flameout
is
more
than
enough
to
quell
inflammation
and
hopefully
extend
the
life
of
telomeres.
Take
three
capsules
with
your
fattiest
meal
of
the
day.
(Here’s
why.)
Slow
Down
Time,
or
Better
Yet,
Reverse
It
The
results
of
increasing
omega-3
consumption
are
extremely
promising,
so
regardless
of
whether
you
do
it
with
supplements
or
by
eating
large
quantities
of
cold-water
fish,
do
it.
Do
it
for
your
chromosomal
aglets.
Do
it
to
increase
not
only
your
lifespan
but
your
health-span
too.
References
Ogłuszka
M
et
al.
Effect
of
Omega-3
Fatty
Acids
on
Telomeres:
Are
They
the
Elixir
of
Youth?
Nutrients.
2022
Sep
9;14(18):3723.
PubMed:
36145097.
Li
J
et
al.
Health
benefits
of
docahexaenoic
acid
and
its
bioavailability:
A
review.
Food
Sci
Nutr.
2021
Jul
23;9(9):5229-5243.
PMC:
PMC8441440.
Harris
WS
et
al.
Blood
n-3
fatty
acid
levels
and
total
and
cause-specific
mortality
from
17
prospective
studies.
Nat
Commun.
2021
Apr
22;12(1):2329.
PubMed:
33888689.
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