Slowing the aging process doesn’t require spending thousands of dollars on special treatments or hours in the gym (although the latter does help).
A buffer against aging may already be in your medicine cabinet, actually.
When we think of age, we typically think of chronological aging. Here, we’re talking about biological aging, which is determined by the condition of the cells in your body rather than the length of time you’ve been alive.
Research recently published in the scientific journal Nature Aging points to ways we can slow down the molecular clock, with one particular supplement standing out.
For three years, researchers tracked 777 people over the age of 70 who took one of multiple treatment combinations in the study — an omega-3 supplement (1 gram, from algae, per day) and/or a vitamin D supplement (2,000 international units, or IU, per day) and/or strength training at home (30 minutes for three days per week).
Researchers then analyzed blood samples from the participants.
They found that taking omega-3 slowed down aging by up to four months across several measures of biological aging, regardless of study participants’ chronological age, body mass index or gender.
For one of those measures, combining omega-3, vitamin D and strength training was even more effective at slowing biological aging.
If you want to skip the supplements and instead change your diet to include more naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acids, consider the following foods:
- Fish and other seafood
- Nuts and seeds like flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts
- Fortified foods like certain eggs, yogurt, juices, milk and soy beverages
