Eat more fish!
An inverse relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of premature death has been confirmed
Maria Azarova, Naked Science
American scientists have shown an inverse relationship of all mortality endpoints with the content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. According to their findings, higher levels of some major PUFA in tissues and blood can reduce the likelihood of death from all causes by an average of 13% and eventually slow down the aging process.
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have long been the subject of close attention of scientists. In the 1970s, Greenlandic Eskimos found an inverse relationship between the level of these fatty acids and the risk of acute myocardial infarction. PUFA is most often referred to as alpha-linolenic acid of plant origin, as well as eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic. Omega-3s are contained in cell membranes and blood vessels, but are not synthesized in the necessary quantities by our body, remaining one of the most important components of a full-fledged healthy diet. The easiest way to get them is from food – sea fish and seafood, linseed, ginger and mustard oils, chia, spinach and seaweed.
According to scientists, the effectiveness of omega-3 for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases has remained controversial for some time, since the results of various studies were contradictory. Nevertheless, a meta-analysis conducted a couple of years ago In this regard, he showed a significant drop in the probability of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease.
However, the relationship between the content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood and the risk of death from all causes has not yet been studied: the only meta-analysis showing a positive correlation was based on self-assessment of fish consumption, that is, it cannot be considered objective. According to the authors of the new study – employees of the Sanford Medical School at the University of South Dakota and the Fatty Acid Research Institute (USA) – their level in red blood cells remains a reliable indicator of PUFA consumption. Therefore, a clear idea can be obtained by studying biomarkers. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications (Harris et al., Blood n-3 fatty acid levels and total and cause-specific mortality from 17 prospective studies).
The authors combined individual analyses of 17 prospective cohort studies The Consortium of Fatty Acid Research and analyzed the relationship with mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other causes. "The combined analyses included measurements of circulating omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in 42,466 people, 15,720 (37%) of whom died during follow-up (on average 16 years). Initially, the average age of participants was 65 years, 55% were women, 87% belonged to the white race. <...> Approximately 30% of deaths were associated with cardiovascular diseases, 30% with cancer, and the remaining 39% with all other causes," the scientists said.
Comparing the medians of the first and fifth parts of the sample (quintiles; that is, approximately the 90th and 10th percentile), scientists found that higher levels of eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA), docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids (as well as EPA + DHA) are associated with a reduction in the risk of overall mortality by 9-13%. "In the quintile analysis, significant trends were observed for EPA, DPA, DHA and EPA + DHA (all <0.01). In comparison of the upper and lower quintiles, each of the fatty acids reduced the risk of death by 15-18%," the authors said.
In general, the probability of dying from diseases of the cardiovascular system fell by 15%, from cancer - by 11%, from other causes combined – by 13%. On the contrary, for vegetable α-linolenic acid, such a reliable relationship was not revealed (the risk decreased by only 1%).
All the results were adjusted for several individual and medical factors: age, gender, weight, blood pressure, the presence of bad habits, diabetes, and so on. "The associations of omega-3 with overall mortality remained similar, with no significant differences after accounting for several trials. The overall results did not change either when excluding participants who took fish oil, or in the cohort analysis," the scientists said.
Summarizing the above: a comprehensive analysis of omega-3 studies has shown that the long-chain eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids contained in fish and seafood are indeed closely associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality from all causes, unlike plant alpha-linolenic acid.
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