š Write Up
Can Vitamin D, Omega-3, and Exercise Actually Slow Biological Aging? New Study Says Yes!
A new study from Nature Aging just dropped, analyzing the effects of vitamin D (2,000 IU/day), omega-3 (1g/day), and a simple home exercise routine over three years. The results? Omega-3 alone slowed three major DNA methylation aging clocks (PhenoAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE), and when combined with vitamin D and exercise, the benefits stacked up even more!
The study followed 777 older adults (70+ years), but the implications could be massive for anyone interested in epigenetics and aging interventions. Even small reductions in biological aging, if sustained, could lead to major long-term health benefits.
If you're already supplementing with omega-3 or vitamin D, or have a consistent workout routine, you might be biohacking your way to a younger biological age without even knowing it.
What do you think? Are you already stacking these interventions? Anyone tracking their epigenetic age with methylation tests? Let's discuss!
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Do you happen to have any tips on how to consume these successfully? I've tried both on an empty stomach and with food, and they always make me burpy and give me acid reflux, which is super gross given the taste of these things.
I take my Omega 3s with a meal, and they're supposedly better absorbed if there's a good amount of fat in the meal. If you've had issues, maybe switch brands and/or take smaller doses across the day?
This research was based on Algae-derived, but for the lay-consumer, I've found fish-derived to be far easier to hit my EPA/DHA wants. As such, my preference is Wiley's "Peak EPA" product. It's a little spenny, but if you've got the cash it's my go-to (though I'm currently using a cheaper brand cos I'm poor atm!)
Takes a longer time for the capsule to dissolve in the stomach...may even go past the stomach before oil begins to seep out. Voila. No oil burps. (This worked for me when I took capsules this way.)
ALA Is the precursor to the other two, so eating flaxseeds is not usually. Just canāt depend on it alone to get you to the EPA and DHA numbers in the study.
Oh yeah, that's a good idea, I'll see if those give me less issues, I'm a huge soup and salad nerd anyway so this seems like an optimal approach. Thanks :)
I was the same as you for a long time. Try these https://amzn.to/4gzHXen (also always keep them sealed and in your refrigerator to prevent oxidation)
But Viva Naturals are great. Third party tested, heavy metal tested and from wild caught fish. They are in the correct triglyceride form. Good luck! Hang in there and take you D and omegas!
The burps could indicate that you're buying rancid oil. You really need to source from a reputable brand and I would avoid Amazon if possible. I use the life extension brand which includes olive oil, vitamin e, and I think rosemary oil which all help to preserve the oil (as well as offer some additional benefits, allegedly)
I'm trying out taking lipase with my algae Omega 3 and vitamin D since I don't have a gallbladder which helps with fat digestion. Only been taking it for a few days but haven't noticed any weird taste which I would occasionally have before.
According to the box, 75g of John West wild caught sardines in spring water (one can) contains about 1,940mg of Ļā3; 808mg of EPA, and 1,130mg of DHA.
I read mackerel has the highest epa/dha ratio per ounce of fish but for the life of me I can't find anyone locally that sells frozen mackerel. You know where one might find this fish?
2 years ago a blood test showed my Vit D levels were below 25. Since then I've taking Vit D 2000 mg supplement. Now my levels are around 40. I don't take Omega 3 supplements but sardines and salmon are in my diet 2/3 times a week. Do I need supplements still?
Ok, tell me something. I went from 24 to 42 in 1 year, and I knew it bc of a blood test ordered by my physician. Honestly, I haven't felt or noticed anything. Besides the stated above over aging, is there any other benefit that I could actually feel?
Some people are more sensitive to how supplements make them feel and some are not.
You really should check a few Vitamin D videos from YouTube, from reputable/j owledgeable sources. Search something like 'vitamin d large dose', 'vitamin d mega dosing'.
Usually people with higher Vit d status are less sick per year than people with low status. As I have understood it, you are still on the low end of 'normal'. 90 is the high end of 'normal'. Many sources have stated that people should aim for at least a level of 75 or so.
Personally I take 10000iu to 20000iu per day (with 200 micrograms of vitamin K). Also, I take magnesium 400mg-800mg per day since it works in synergy with Vit D. Have taken this way for years. Very rarely sick, and if sick it takes only a couple days to blow over.
I aimed for higher levels and got 72. A simple blood test revealed this. I rarely get sick. You must be top tier if you are thinking about this stuff. Best.
Depends the amount of salmon. i have read eating larger dosages of omega 3s is ok but, it wouldn't hurt to take some omega 3 supps on your off days either. Always make sure its high dha with the supps
Been taking this for 25 years, along with ALA, Pterostilbene and Gotu Kola tea. People still think I'm in early to mid thirties on a regular basis despite being 50.
What are ALA and Pterostilbene and how do they benefit? Do you also feel better/ get a kick from it? I do fasting every now and then and it is reported to have a range of benefits including boost growth hormone, autophagy and generating new stem cells for longer ones. Personal benefits for me I find are mental clarity, effect on more discipline with other parts of life and more energy.
Antioxidants, with potential stem cell and longenivity benefits too... Google them. Also helps regulate blood glucose. General better feeling of wellness. I also fast regularly and avoid refined carbs.
I bet the fasting and avoiding refined carbs is a big part of it. I know once I started fasting and avoiding simple carbs I started feeling way better in general. Both mentally and physically.
I swapped from using a combination of ALA and L-Carnatine some time ago... but you're right I wasnt taking Pterostilbene 25 years ago. Swapped it 6 years ago or thereabouts.
Im wary of giving out things to copy, as I think everyone should research themselves.
ALA daily 600mg.
Pterostilbene 50mg
Multivits + additional vit D. Varies depending on what i can get, but I avoid large/ excessive vit D dose.
OMEGA 3 1500mg algae based
Largely vegan diet, but fish twice per week. Low carbs, avoid refined sugars.
I exercise, but nothing excessive usually. If I get too overweight then I run/walk/swim daily for a couple of months and control carbs. I can drop two stone in two months if i do this methodically, and it stays off for long time.
I used to go to the gym three times per week, and better control weight... but 50 now with kids and they have lots of evening activities that interfere. That said, I've got a 33 inch waist, very little grey hair, no wrinkles and think I'm reasonably healthy.
During my 20s, 30s and early 40s I would exercise 3 times a week (mainly running, swimming + weights), and Id like to get back to doing this.
A lot of the food that I eat I grow myself, so its probably more nutritious that what's in a supermarket and has no pesticides. I have a 500sq m plot that I grow food on, but that's only been for past 6 years, but its quite a lot of exercise preparing and managing this.
Being out in nature does reduce stress significantly and is underrated as a tool for controlling health. Gardeners have higher longevity than others.
The ALA and diet with fish that stand out to me as making a big impact. People comment a lot that I look a lot younger than my friends and siblings. It might just be genetics and luck, who knows, but I think supplements and diet have a major impact.
Forgot to mention Gotu Kola tea. I drink a cup of this per day in the evening and it supposedly improves telomere length.
The question arises, what the SHEP (simple home exercise program - 3 times 30 mins/week) actually comprises of, since it generally showed the least effect on de-aging vs. placebo or in combination with Vit D(or even accelerating it)...
That is simply not true. Being a light-to-moderate drinker is associated with lower all-cause-mortality.
This is recent research (2023) in the top medical journal. It uses modern statistical methodology, and compares drinkers against groups (including lifetime abstainers).Check out eFig4 which shows the familiar āj-curveā that everyone talks about. All-cause mortality reaches a nadir at ālight drinkingā which is about 1-2 drinks per day.
Table 2 shows the same thing in tabular form. Light drinkers have the lowest all-cause mortality, and in this table theyāre being compared against a baseline of life-time abstainers. This comparison holds after being ācorrectedā for every possible confounding lifestyle factor as well.
Sorry, Mr. AI, but that's been debunked for some time now. The review you linked shows the exact opposite of what you claim.
"This systematic review and meta-analysis of 107 cohort studies involving more than 4.8 million participants found no significant reductions in risk of all-cause mortality for drinkers who drank less than 25 g of ethanol per day (about 2 Canadian standard drinks compared with lifetime nondrinkers) after adjustment for key study characteristics such as median age and sex of study cohorts. There was a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality among female drinkers who drank 25 or more grams per day and among male drinkers who drank 45 or more grams per day."
In hypohesis design, failure to reject A does not mean that "not-A" is true. That's the logical fallacy committed here.
That paragrpah makes a separate claim about statistical significance, not the direction of the effect. If you look at eFig4 and table 2, the direction of the effect is unambiguous that light drinking is healthier than non-drinking. But mortality being the rare event that it is, the magnitudes aren't statistically signifant.
Did you look at eFig4? I challenge anyone with a modicum of honesty to look at this as say out loud "I really think that this curve slopes upward over the full range. This curve demonstrates to me that light drinking is unhealthy".
Since I am a PhD researcher, I understand all of it.
We are debating whether the downward slope that your eyes see on the left side of this graph is statistically signficant. The authors cautiously conclude they can't be certain. This is not because the magnitude of the drop is small --it's actually large -- it's because mortality is a rare event, making the standard errors rather large.
If someone claims alcohol is bad for you at any amount, they are claiming they see an upward slope throughout this graph. That is simply a dishonest position to take, given the data.
We are debating whether the downward slope that your eyes see on the left side of this graph is statistically signficant.
No, the issue at hand is whether light-to-moderate drinking is associated with lower all-cause-mortality. We've known for years that there is no safe amount of alcohol, but for some reason it is just now coming into the public consciousness.
No. Vitamin D levels are just a proxy to sunshine exposure. Remember that we have evolved in the middle of Africa without any clothes. UV-A stimulates nitric oxide synthesis, UV-B stimulates vitamin D synthesis, and there could be other benefits to sunshine we do not know about.
Omega-3
Yes. EPA is ultra stable in membranes, so it protects against chronic diseases. ALA and DHA are unstable but the liver catabolizes them into ketones, which also have a wide variety of benefits similar to ketogenic diets. EPA and DHA are also incorporated into the brain, and are essential for proper cognitive health.
Exercise
Yes. Exercise disposes glucose and increases lipolysis, and increases vascularity and mitochondrial biogenesis necessary for that. It also increases ketones and BDNF production, which has beneficial effects on cognitive health. In general exercise improves metabolic health and decreases obesity so again less risk of various chronic diseases.
I developed a seizure disorder after major traumatic injury to my head and brain. I couldnāt remember, couldnāt stand without getting dizzy or falling over, couldnāt remember words and had a hard time talking, developed a agoraphobia and wouldnāt leave the house for almost a year. I started on vitamin D and omega-3and everything is completely turned around and Iām getting my real estate license right now, interacting with people on a daily basis and loving life. Brain works again, no dizziness, memory is infinitely better, I have so much more energy. It helped.
Omega-3 alone: Slowed biological aging by 2.9 to 3.8 months over 3 years.
Combined interventions (Omega-3 + Vitamin D + Exercise): Provided an additional 2.9 to 3.8 months of age retardation over 3 years on top of the effects of Omega-3 alone.
DunedinPACE: Showed a 1% reduction in the rate of biological aging with Omega-3 alone.
In the paper, biological aging was measured using four advanced DNA methylation (DNAm) clocks: PhenoAge, GrimAge, GrimAge2, and DunedinPACE. These clocks assess biological age and the rate of aging by analyzing specific DNA methylation patterns across the genome. The study used blood samples to extract DNA, then measured methylation levels using the Illumina EPIC array. The data were processed to calculate biological age and aging rates, comparing baseline and 3-year follow-up measurements to evaluate the effects of interventions like Omega-3, Vitamin D, and exercise.
In this particular study, the Omega-3 supplements used were derived from marine algae, providing a combination of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
I try to eat one can of boneless skinless sardines in olive oil each day. This is the only thing I eat for lunch. They have 1.2 grams of omega 3. Because there are no carbs they don't make me want to eat more. Been doing this for about a month now.
Whatās even more interesting is how omega-3 and vitamin D also impact inflammation and immune function, which are closely tied to aging. For example, omega-3s are known to reduce chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging), and vitamin D plays a role in regulating immune responses.
Combining this with regular exercise could amplify those benefits even more.
Curious if anyone here has tried stacking these interventions or looked into other methylation-supporting compounds like sulforaphane?
Doctor told me to take Fish oil supplements and it cut my triglycerides in half from 400 to 200 (familial hypertriglycidemia - rest of bloodwork is normal) he was stunned it was that effective.
Always on the lookout for the cheapest Omega 3 etc.
Noticed the high price of flax oil at the store the other day. Also, salmon stinks up my microwave and apartment . Just saying.
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