EATING oily fish can help ensure a long life as it slashes the risk of heart failure by a third, scientists have discovered.
As a result, they say the fatty acid found in fish oil, omega 3, should now be taken daily by everyone in Britain.
Oily fish has long been known to help those with existing heart problems, but just 500mg a day – the equivalent of two three-ounce portions a week – could also cut the risk for healthy people.
The “compelling” new evidence could reduce heart attack deaths in the UK by up to 30 per cent – without a need for extra medication.
Heart disease is still the country’s biggest killer and scientists at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans looked back at 30 years of research.
They say people with existing heart problems should take “at least 800 to 1,000mg” of omega 3 each day – the amount found in three to four 3oz portions of oily fish a week.
Half that amount of fish would provide enough omega 3 for healthy people – the equivalent of one supplement capsule.
Although the substance is considered an “essential fatty acid”, omega 3 is not produced naturally by the body, and therefore it can only be obtained through diet or supplements. The Food Standards Agency recommends mackerel, tuna and herring as the best source of the oil, which according to previous studies can also protect against strokes and cancer.
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Dreams of eternal youth feature in many cultures throughout history, but it was only in the 20th century that research into longevity really began. Much about ageing is still mysterious – we don’t even know the underlying reasons why we journey into old age. There are many lines of enquiry into how to live longer, though, with one of the most intriguing being calorie restriction: in effect, going on a lifelong diet.
Calorie restriction dramatically extends not only the lifespan of laboratory animals, but also their “healthspan” – how long they live free of disease. On the assumption that it has the same effect in people, some individuals have already adopted a restricted diet. The latest evidence suggests that while calorie restriction is indeed beneficial for humans, when it comes to lifespan extension, it may not be the whole story.
The good news is that we might be able to delay ageing without cutting our food intake. “There’s a definite possibility that if you balance the diet correctly, a longer lifespan can be achieved without full food restriction,” says Matthew Piper, a researcher into ageing at University College London.
Interest in calorie restriction began in 1935, when scientists made the surprising discovery that rats on a reduced-calorie diet lived longer, provided they were supplemented with sufficient vitamins and minerals. The idea sounds counter-intuitive; after all, a state of starvation is not usually conducive to health. But there seems to be a window of benefit. While lifespan is reduced if calories are cut too drastically, it can be extended by cutting them moderately (see graph).
Calorie restriction has since been shown to extend the lives of other organisms including yeast, nematode worms, fruit flies and mice. Mice, for example, live up to 50 per cent longer if their calorie intake is cut by 30 to 50 per cent. What’s more, mammals are protected from a number of age-associated maladies such as cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
It is unclear why eating less should make animals live longer. While a restricted diet triggers numerous changes at the molecular and genetic levels, only some of these are common across all the species tested. However, there does seem to be a general principle that a dearth of nutrients causes organisms to divert resources away from growth and reproduction and towards basic survival functions. From an evolutionary perspective, these adaptations could help an organism survive famine.
PARENTS who buy fish-oil tablets to boost children’s brain power may be wasting their money.
New research published yesterday showed pupils’ reading, spelling and co-ordination were “largely unaffected” by taking omega-3 supplements. However, teachers did report improvements in the children’s attention in class.
The four-month study involved 450 children, aged eight to 10, across a range of social classes at 17 schools in Newport, south Wales.