New Study Shows Omega-3 Stats Is Linked To Slower Aging
What we eat directly impacts how well we age. Some nutrients work with our biology to slow aging, whereas other nutrients expedite it. So where does dietary fat fall in this equation?
Fat is often treated as one category, but foods rich in fat usually contain a blend of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, each interacting differently with the body. And healthy aging isn’t about eliminating one type of fat and only eating another. Rather, it’s about finding the right balance to support longevity.
A new study sheds light on this balance by looking at the fats circulating in our bloodstream and how they relate to living longer, healthier. Here’s what you need to know.
About the study
For this research, scientists set out to understand how different fatty acids may influence the odds of healthy aging. They followed 15,333 adults ages 64 and older who were free of major chronic conditions at the start. Rather than relying on food logs or self-reported intake, the team measured actual levels of individual fatty acids circulating in the blood, expressed as a percentage of total fat.
This included measuring levels of saturated fats (like palmitic or stearic acid), monounsaturated fats (like oleic or palmitoleic acid), omega-6s (like linoleic acid), and omega-3s (like DHA, EPA, and ALA). Your diet highly impacts the level of these fatty acids.
Participants were then tracked to see who reached healthy aging, defined as living to age 80 without developing any major heart health or metabolic conditions.
Dietary fats & healthy aging
Some findings were clear right away: saturated fats and monounsaturated fats didn’t show a meaningful link to healthy aging. These fats weren’t harmful in this context, but they didn’t appear to make a big difference in reaching age 80 disease-free.
Where things got interesting was with polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), particularly:
- Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and other marine omega-3s (like EPA).
- Omega-6 linoleic acid (LA), the dominant omega-6 found in nuts and seeds
People with higher levels of these PUFAs in their blood had significantly greater odds of healthy aging. However, not all omega-6 fats behaved the same way. Only LA showed a positive relationship with healthy aging. Other omega-6 fats did not provide the same benefit.
Individuals with a higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratio (meaning more intake of omega-6 relative to omega-3s) were less likely to experience healthy aging. That means it’s not just about getting enough omega-6; it’s also about keeping omega-3 intake strong enough to maintain balance.
RELATED READ: 5 Signs You May Be Low In Omega-3 Fats
Optimizing your dietary fat intake
So, how can you optimize dietary fat intake for longevity? The best way is to prioritize adding more omega-3s to your diet and choosing whole-food sources of omega-6s.
Omega-3s to increase
The best sources of DHA & EPA omega-3s are fatty fish like salmon, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and herring. It’s best to aim for at least two servings per week.
Many people would also benefit from adding a high-quality omega-3 supplement to their daily routine (this is true even if you eat fatty fish multiple times a week!). These supplements provide a therapeutic dose of EPA and DHA to further protect heart health and cognition.*
Our favorite omega-3 supplement provides 1,500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA in each serving from wild-caught, cold water fish.
Increasing intake from plant-based sources of omega-3 ALA fatty acids is also a smart idea (these foods include walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp). However, they are poorly converted to EPA and DHA in the body. So those marine sources of omega-3s are vital.
Omega-6s to increase and decrease
So what about omega-6s then? Well, eating LA omega-6 fatty acids from foods like walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and tahini is beneficial.
But not all omega-6s are created equal. To further improve your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, also go easy on omega-6-rich oils used in ultra-processed snacks and fried foods, which tend to be the key drivers in skewing the ratio out of favor.
The takeaway
This study suggests that having higher blood levels of omega-3s (especially DHA) and LA is linked to a greater healthspan. Increasing omega-3 intake, even with the help of supplements, is especially important considering 95% of Americans have low levels of EPA and DHA.
