The chances are you’re not getting enough of the right kind of fat in your diet. In fact, all of us are in the same boat, because it’s impossible to get enough of the kind of fat I’m talking about.
As an anti-aging specialist, I make it a point to educate my patients about which nutrients will help them live a healthy, happy life for as long as possible.
At the top of my list are the two of the most potent omega-3 fatty acids – eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, better known as EPA and DHA.
These crucial omega-3 fats literally have the power to fend off old age. And they do it by resetting your internal “doomsday clocks.”
Each of your cells has a set of “doomsday clocks,” called telomeres. These are the vital endcaps that seal off the tips of your cells’ chromosomes to prevent DNA strands from unraveling.
Every time a cell duplicates, its telomeres become shorter, until the chromosomes unravel and the cell dies – and you’re a bit closer to passing away. This is how they count down how long our cells will live.
Based on what I’ve seen with my patients, it’s vital that you consume enough omega-3s, because EPA and DHA will keep your telomeres long and healthy.
My observations have been confirmed by studies that link high DHA-EPA levels with longer, healthier telomeres.1,2 Researchers have also found that these omega-3s activate telomerase, the enzyme responsible for rebuilding your telomeres.3
But your body can’t make these important fatty acids. So for optimal health, it’s crucial that you consume enough of them in your diet and by supplement.
I’ve observed that when my patients have higher levels of DHA and EPA in their blood, they are more vital and sharper. They also experience
fewer serious illnesses, and they recover more quickly from ailments.To find the optimum omega-3 dosage, I started out by testing my patients’ blood to determine their DHA and EPA levels.
I use a series of blood tests to measure the total volume of fatty acids in their blood. But I am especially interested in the levels of DHA and EPA in red blood cells.
My observations, along with numerous scientific studies, show that EPA-DHA volume should make up at least 8% of all the fatty acids in your red blood cells – although for many people, levels can drop to as low as 2%.4
In one study, people with a red-blood-cell EPA-DHA level of least 8% faced a low risk of heart attack. But those people with a red-cell level between 4% and 8% had a moderate risk of heart troubles. Meanwhile, people whose levels came in less than 4% faced a high risk of heart attack.5,6
But EPA-DHA levels are not just important for heart health.
The essential fatty acids can prevent and manage mental deterioration because they help endocrine glands release neuroactive steroids that regulate the brain. Alcoholism and depression have been linked to a shortage of omega-3s. And, DHA, especially, helps control our moods, including anger and fear.7
Other studies have confirmed that higher levels of EPA and DHA delay aging by preventing brain shrinkage.8,9
They can also:
- Radically improve brain function;10
- Stave off arthritis and autoimmune diseases by controlling inflammation;11
- Prevent coronary heart disease;12
- Increase sperm count;13
- Prevent depression.14,15
Most mainstream medical experts recommend eating two servings of oily fish a week. The best sources are mackerel, herring, salmon, trout and fresh tuna. This kind of diet should provide you with between 800 mg. and 1,000 mg. of those vital omega-3s a week.
But after years of tracking my patients’ omega-3 levels, I know It’s almost impossible to get enough EPA-DHA from your diet.
Based on my experience, you need at least 500 mg. of DHA and about 60 mg. of EPA — EVERY DAY!
Without a doubt, supplements are the best way to boost your EPA-DHA levels… although though not just any supplement.
If you use fish oil, you’re likely to run into the toxicity problems you face if you were to eat fish every day.
Fortunately, there are better alternatives. I recommend krill oil and squid oil to my patients.
The tiny shrimp-like krill don’t live long enough to absorb large amounts toxins. And squid live miles below the ocean, far from the pollution on the surface.
And krill oil has another advantage. Its omega-3s are stored in phospholipid form instead of triglyceride, which helps DHA cross cell membranes better and explains why it’s so good for brain function.16,17,18
I always recommend combining krill oil with natural astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that can help DHA cross the blood-brain barrier even more efficiently.
So if you want to live longer and smarter, this is one of the easiest ways to improve your chances…
Take at least 500 mg. of DHA and 60 mg. of EPA from a combination of squid oil and krill oil with astaxanthin.
And make sure you take them with meals so the DHA and EPA can be digested properly.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K., et al. “Omega-3 fatty acids, oxidative stress, and leukocyte telomere length: A randomized controlled trial.” Brain Behav Immun. 2013 February ; 28: 16–24. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2012.09.004.
2. Kesavulu, M.M., et al. “Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme status in type 2 diabetic patients.” Diabetes Metab. 2002; 28: 20–26.
3. Ornish, Dr. Dean, et al. “Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: A pilot study.” The Lancet Oncology. 2008, Nov.; Vol. 9, No. 11, P1048-1057.
4. Harris, William S., Ph.D. “The Omega-3 Index: Clinical Utility for therapeutic intervention.” Curr Cardiol Rep (2010) 12:503-508. DOI: 10.1007/s11886-010-0141-6.
5. Harris, William S., and Von Schacky, C. “The Omega-3 Index: A new risk factor for death from coronary heart disease?” Prev Med 2004, Jul; 39 (1): 212-20.
6. Harris, William, S., Ph.D. “Clinical correlates and heritability of erythrocyte eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid content in the Framingham Heart Study.” Atherosclerosis. 2012 Dec;225(2):425-31. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2012.05.030. Epub 2012 Jun 7.
7. Nieminen L.R., et al. “Relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and plasma neuroactive steroids in alcoholism,
depression and controls.” Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2006 Oct;75(4-5):309-14.
8. Tan, Z.S., et al. “Red blood cell ω-3 fatty acid levels and markers of accelerated brain aging.” Neurology. 2012 Feb 28;78(9):658-64. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318249f6a9.
9. Pottala, J.V., et al. “Higher RBC EPA + DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes: WHIMS-MRI study.” Neurology. 2014 Feb 4;82(5):435-42. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000080. Epub 2014 Jan 22.
10. Bourre J.M. “Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 2: macronutrients.” J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Sep;10(5):386-99.
11. Ferrucci, L., et al. “Relationship of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids to circulating inflammatory markers.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006; 91: 439–446
12. Sala-Vila, A., et al. “Determinants of the omeg a-3 index in a Mediterranean population at increased risk for CHD.” Br J Nutr. 2011 Aug;106(3):425-31. doi: 10.1017/S0007114511000171. Epub 2011 Mar 30.
13. Safarinejad, M.R. “Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on semen profile and enzymatic anti-oxidant capacity of seminal plasma in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study.” Andrologia. 2011 Feb;43(1):38-47. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2009.01013.x. Epub 2010 Dec 19.
14. Amin, A.A., et al. “Acute coronary syndrome patients with depression have low blood cell membrane omega-3 fatty acid levels.” Psychosom Med. 2008 Oct;70(8):856-62. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e318188a01e. Epub 2008 Oct 8.
15. Pottala, J.V., et al. “Red blood cell fatty acids are associated with depression in a case-control study of adolescents.” Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2012 Apr;86(4-5):161-5. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2012.03.002. Epub 2012 Mar 29.
16. Bazan N, Musto A, Knott E. “Endogenous signaling by omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid-derived mediators sustains homeostatic synaptic and circuitry integrity.”Mol Neurobiol. 2011;44(2):216-22.
17. Tan Z, Harris W, Beiser A, Au R, Himali J, Debette S, Pikula A, Decarli C, Wolf P, Vasan R, Robins S, Seshadri S. “Red blood cell ω-3 fatty acid levels and markers of accelerated brain aging.”Neurology. 2012;78(9):658-64.
18. Cao D, Kevala K, Kim J, Moon H, Jun S, Lovinger D, Kim H. “Docosahexaenoic acid promotes hippocampal neuronal development and synaptic function.”J Neurochem. 2009;111(2):510-21.