A high dose of an Omega-3 supplement can increase protection at the cellular level during and after a stressful event. In addition, it would help to curb the effects of ageing by suppressing damage. This is revealed by research from Ohio State University (United States).
In the work, published in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry and echoed by Europa Press, scientists discovered that the daily supplements containing 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3, the highest dose tested, were the ones that best helped the body resist the harmful effects of the stings.
To check, study participants took 2.5 grams or 1.25 grams of Omega 3 each day, or a placebo containing a mixture of oils that represented the daily intake of a typical American.
Accelerated Aging
Participants who took other Omega 3 supplements produced less cortisol, the stress hormone, and lower levels of a pro-inflammatory protein during a stressful event in the lab. Instead, levels of protective compounds drop sharply in the placebo group after a stressful factor. No such decreases were detected in people taking Omega 3.
Supplements contributed to what the researchers call stress resilience: reduction of harm during this episode, following acute stress, sustained anti-inflammatory activity, and protection of cell components that are shrunk as a result of aging.
The possible anti-aging effects are considered particularly striking because they occurred in healthy, but also sedentary, overweight, and middle-aged people, all of whom could pose a higher risk of accelerated ageing.
Breaking the Stress Chain
“The results suggest that supplementation with Omega 3 is a relatively simple change that could have a positive effect in breaking the chain between stress and negative effects on health,” Annelise Madison explained in a statement reported by Europa Press.
In their findings, the researchers also suggested that by reducing stress-related inflammation, Omega 3s could help disrupt the connection between repeated stress and depressive symptoms.
Subsequent research has suggested that people with a greater inflammatory reaction to a stressor in the lab may develop more depressive symptoms over time.
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