Researchers from the DO-HEALTH trial have unveiled promising results that suggest a combination of omega-3 supplements, vitamin D, and regular exercise could slow biological aging in older adults. The trial, which tracked over 700 participants aged 70 and above, discovered measurable benefits at the molecular level when following this regimen. Participants consumed one gram of algae-based polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids and 2,000 international units of vitamin D daily, while also engaging in 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. Over a three-year period, this combination was found to slow biological aging by approximately 2.9 to 3.8 months.
The PhenoAge biological clock was utilized to measure these effects, confirming that the specified regimen decelerates aging. While the documented rejuvenation of biological age by three to four months may seem modest, the study suggests that sustained efforts could significantly impact population health. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, MD, MPH, DrPH, emphasized this potential impact.
“Our findings provide a strong signal that omega-3 slows biological aging in humans, and that the combination vitamin D and exercise may make this effect even stronger. While the effects documented (3-4 months rejuvenation of biological age) appear small, if sustained, may have relevant effects on population health.” – Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, MD, MPH, DrPH
The study also highlighted the affordability and safety of these strategies over a three-year follow-up. Data showed that combining omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise could serve as a viable public health strategy to extend the health span in older adults. Horvath commented on the public health implications.
“This supports these three public health strategies as a combined solution at the public health level to extend health span in older adults. Further, these strategies are affordable and safe as shown in DO-HEALTH over a 3-year follow-up.” – Horvath
Clifford Segil, DO, noted the importance of understanding the individual contributions of each component and suggested further research.
“I enjoyed seeing these researchers try to determine if Vitamin D with omega-3 improved biological age with exercise. I would have liked to see the study broken into 3 parts which would have been biological age affects from Vitamin D and omega 3 supplementation. A second part confirming how much exercise decreased biological age with new next generation tests. And then a third part to confirm that both together worked better than alone.” – Clifford Segil, DO
The DO-HEALTH trial also revealed other benefits related to the regimen. According to Bischoff-Ferrari, omega-3 intake lowered the rate of falls by 10% and infections by up to 13%. When combined with vitamin D and exercise, it reduced the risk of pre-frailty by 39% and invasive cancer by 61%.
“In our prior studies in the same trial (DO-HEALTH) of generally healthy adults age 70 and older, we found omega-3 lowered the rate of falls by 10% and reduced the rate of infections by up to 13%, while omega-3, vitamin D and exercise combined lowered the risk of pre-frailty by 39% and invasive cancer by 61%,” – Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, MD, MPH, DrPH
The study employed new next-generation tests to verify the effects on biological age, further enhancing its credibility. As a next step, plans are underway to use DO-HEALTH as a platform for validating novel measures of biological aging.
“As a next step,” he told us, “we plan to use DO-HEALTH as a validation platform for novel measures of biological aging and just built the global health span extension consortium to advance the concept of combining feasible life-style changes that play on different mechanistic pathways of biological aging and become powerful in combination.”
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