Eating fish can keep you healthy until you reach old age, according to a study

Some fats found in seafood could help you stay healthy for years, according to a new study published in the BMJ.

High levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood – healthy fats in foods such as fish, nuts, leafy greens and vegetable and flaxseed oils – were associated with higher probability of healthy aging, according to an observational study. The omega-3s found in seafood seemed to have the most powerful effect, said Heidi Lai, co-author of the study, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Nutrition Science and Science Friedman in Tufts.

"Some studies have examined the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and the individual components of healthy aging, but without combining them," wrote Lai in an email to TIME. "Our study helps to fill this lack of knowledge."

Researchers have focused on healthy aging, that is, living to old age without chronic diseases such as heart disease, dementia and cancer, or dying after age 65 without any these conditions, rather than longevity, because it is a better marker of real good. to be, says Lai. "Nowadays, people are living longer, but they are not necessarily healthy," she says. "Nobody really wants to live long and spend most of their late life struggling with diseases."

The researchers examined more than 2,600 seniors participating in the US Cardiovascular Health Study. The individuals were all healthy at the start of the study and their average age was 74 years old. The researchers took blood samples to measure the levels of 46 different omega-3 fatty acids at the start of the study, six years later and seven years later. People also provided health and demographic information at each visit to the clinic and completed detailed food questionnaires towards the start of the study period.

After nearly 25 years of follow-up, only 11% of people met the definition of healthy aging – and omega-3 fatty acids seemed to play a role in determining who falls into this category. The study found that people with the highest levels of omega-3 had a risk of unhealthy aging reduced by 18% compared to people whose blood level of omega-3 fatty acids was weak.

By examining specific fatty acids, the researchers found the most significant reductions in the risk of unhealthy aging associated with omega-3s from seafood, perhaps because these compounds have been associated with an improvement in many aspects of the diet. health, including cardiovascular and cognitive health. People in the lowest-risk group also reported eating more fish than their peers, the study said. They consumed about two servings of fish a week, while people whose blood omega-3 concentrations in seafood were the lowest consumed about one serving a week.

Vegetable sources of omega-3s, such as nuts and flax seeds, are healthy, but Lai says that these compounds are "transformed into the body" differently from the fatty acids contained in fish , and therefore probably have different effects.

The new study was observational, which means it can not prove any cause and effect. However, the results, together with other research on the health benefits of seafood and current dietary recommendations, suggest that fish should be part of a healthy diet, especially for the elderly.