Fish oils proven to slow aging and mobility decline

Fish oils proven to slow aging and mobility decline


(NaturalNews) Fish-oil supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids may
improve the body's ability to build muscle and help stave off
age-related immobility, according to a study conducted by researchers
from the University of Aberdeen, U.K., and presented at the British Science Festival in the same city.

Fatty
fish and fish-oil supplements have gained popularity in recent years
due to their high content of omega-3s, which research has linked to
improve cardiovascular health, improved cognitive function and a lower
risk of death. Fish oil itself has been linked to a lower risk of cancer
and to improved healing after a stroke.

Studies conducted on
farm animals have shown that a diet rich in omega-3s leads to an
increase in muscle mass. These studies inspired the Aberdeen researchers
to perform a similar study on laboratory rats. Using magnetic resonance
imaging, the researchers found that middle-aged rats whose diet
included fish oil lost significantly less lean mass over time than
similarly aged rats fed only a standard diet.

"The fish oil
seemed to be having anabolic [muscle-building] protective effects in the
rats, but rats aren't humans, so the next step was to try it in
humans," lead researcher Stuart Gray said.

Battling muscle loss

A
certain degree of muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, is typically
considered a normal part of healthy aging. Healthy sarcopenia results in
a 0.5 to two percent reduction in muscle size per year. Excessive
sarcopenia; however, can lead to weakness, frailty and immobility in the
elderly.

In the United States, one in four people between the
ages of 50 and 70 demonstrate signs of sarcopenia, along with more than
50 percent of those over the age of 80. In addition to the direct
effects of immobility, sarcopenia can cause other injuries due to falls.

"Around 1.5 percent of the total U.S. healthcare budget is spent on sarcopenia-related issues," Gray said.

The
rate of sarcopenia can be strongly affected by differences in lifestyle
and diet, with low protein intake and a low activity level exacerbating
the condition. In the current study, the researchers sought to find out
if a diet high in omega-3s would have a similar effect in humans as it
did in farm animals and laboratory rats.

The researchers assigned
14 women over the age of 65 to participate in two 30-minute leg
exercise sessions per week for 12 weeks. Half of the women were given an
olive oil (placebo) supplement, while the other half were given a
supplement containing the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. At the end of
the study, the women taking olive oil supplements had experienced an 11
percent increase in muscle mass, while the women taking omega-3s had
experienced a 20 percent increase, nearly twice as much as the placebo.

The
researchers have already secured funding for a follow-up study, to be
performed on 60 men and women over the age of 65. With the new study,
researchers aim to confirm the findings of their first study and also to
see if they can determine exactly how omega-3s influence muscle
formation and retention.

The new study will also seek to
determine whether men and women respond differently to omega-3s.
Previous studies have shown that men's and women's bodies are different;
both in their response to exercise and in their protein synthesis
abilities.

"Older women have similar levels of protein synthesis
to younger women, whereas older men have lower levels compared to
younger men," Gray said. "Older men adapt to exercise and increase their
protein synthesis. Older women don't do this to a great extent,
although their basal levels of synthesis are higher."


Source:-
http://www.naturalnews.com/037177_fish_oils_aging_mobility.html