Longevity
The Omega-3 Index is a scientifically validated biomarker for longevity. People with a high Omega-3 Index live approximately five years longer than those with a low index—a measurable effect comparable to the impact of smoking.
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Ever heard of the Omega-3 Index? Honestly, we overlooked it for a long time too. It seemed to me (Chris) too trendy. And too obvious—after all, Omega-3 fatty acids are part of the standard program of any healthy lifestyle. Often in the form of fish, and certainly [source no longer available].
In any case, the Omega-3 Index is something quite wonderful. Two brilliant people, researchers named Harris (American) and von Schacky (German), joined forces almost 20 years ago after it became increasingly clear that Omega-3 fatty acids are special fats with remarkable effects. Shortly before that, in 2002, an important study by Christine Albert was published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Using data from the Physicians' Health Study, she was able to show that the relative risk of sudden death (usually cardiac) in men with the highest Omega-3 levels in their blood was a remarkable 80% lower.
As a reminder: this is the cause of death that most of us naturally succumb to over the course of our lives.
At that time, however, there was no Omega-3 Index yet—a standardized, reproducible measure was needed to capture blood Omega-3 levels. Harris and von Schacky used the proportion of Omega-3 fatty acids in the cell membrane, more specifically: in the erythrocyte membrane (red blood cells). What many don't know: the body maintains the fatty acid composition of its cell membranes very consistently—except for polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-3. This proportion depends strictly on dietary intake.
In other words: the more Omega-3 we consume, the higher the proportion of Omega-3 fatty acids in the total amount of fatty acids incorporated into cell membranes.
In the following years, Harris and von Schacky demonstrated that the Omega-3 Index is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death that operates on the same scale as recognized risk factors such as cholesterol, triglycerides, homocysteine, and so on. Unfortunately, the scientific community was slow to understand that you cannot simply administer Omega-3 and then observe what happens to participants over, say, five years. You must strictly use the Omega-3 Index as your reference point to get a baseline. After all, logically, someone with low Omega-3 levels would need to consume significantly more Omega-3 to achieve the same effects.
Fortunately, studies on Omega-3 that use the Omega-3 Index as a reference are becoming increasingly common. William S. Harris continues to publish—as happened just last year. Harris's research team used data from the well-known Framingham Offspring Study for their investigation. This is a study that has followed and examined people over many years. In the context of the new Harris study, fatty acid levels in the blood of 2,240 people over age 65 were analyzed, who were observed for an average of eleven years. The goal was to validate which fatty acids, alongside already-known factors, serve as good predictors of mortality.
Result: People with the highest Omega-3 Index (>7%) had a life expectancy five years higher than those with a low Omega-3 Index below 4%. Having too little Omega-3 in the blood shortened life in this study just as strongly as smoking. Indeed, it was shown that a high Omega-3 Index compensates for the effects of smoking on life expectancy. The researchers note that Japan, where people have an Omega-3 Index of 8-9%, has precisely this five-year advantage compared to many Western countries when it comes to life expectancy.
Really remarkable. Here you have a value that you can adjust quite simply through lifestyle, more specifically: through diet. With potentially profound consequences for your own life. We've thoroughly addressed everything about the Omega-3 Index in a comprehensive article:
24 references/studies on the topic
You won't find a better summary of this topic in the German-speaking world. Our recommendation: go ahead and read it, then take action.
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