🙌 Happy Friday!
We’re swimming in fantastic science this week, as we explore the crossover between middle-aged fish behavior and human life expectancy, and the surprising risk of fish oil on certain people’s brains. Let’s dive in.
Other news this week: A cholesterol-busting new study, the Rolling Scones, and bread takes.
Do you currently take fish oil?
Spotlight
🐟 Fishy behaviors at midlife might influence lifespan
Our aging bodies change when we approach midlife, and then beyond that. How we behave changes, too, and certain changes may be an early warning sign about our lifespan. ⚠
In a Stanford study of the African turquoise killifish, everyday behaviors at midlife—like sleeping and movement—could help predict which fish would live longer.
“Behavior turns out to be an incredibly sensitive readout of aging,” says study author and postdoctoral scholar Ravi Nath 🥼 in an article in Earth. If these small changes are the same for humans, it may offer a new strategy for preventing disease.
Midlife: The tipping point of longevity in vertebrates ⚖
Researchers followed the behavioral breadcrumbs of the killifish because it shares key biology/genetic traits with humans.
‼ Midlife was seen as an important time to watch for changes in behavior. And the earlier their behavior changed, the higher the risk of a shorter lifespan. ‼
The key patterns:
💤 Sleep was the clearest indicator of longevity. Fish that slept more during the day were more likely to have a shorter lifespan.
🏊 Movement mattered too, and speedier swimmers tended to live longer.
🌊 Aging happens in bursts: Like humans, fish go through multiple and intense waves of aging, rather than experience a steady decline toward decrepitude.
Changing course: Researchers are interested in whether changing a fish’s lifestyle can slow aging. And with the rise in wearables, they’re interested in spotting patterns in humans that might predict their risk of aging.
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Wellness watch
⏰ When is it time to do something different?
If you’ve followed the same running routine, supplement stack, or diet for years, how do you know when it’s working or just familiar?
Stick with what works, or try something new that might be better… researchers studying athletes call this the explore–exploit dilemma, as explored in Outside. That same logic can show up in healthy aging.
There isn’t a universal time or age to change your diet, fitness, or supplement routine. But, a few overarching patterns may be worth considering:
What to change — and when 🤔
🏋 Fitness: Persistent soreness, lack of strength gains, or boredom may suggest it’s time to rotate exercises or intensity every 4-6 weeks for more benefits.
🥗 Diet: In aging adults, there’s a risk of elevated blood sugar, triglycerides, fasting glucose, ApoB (a marker of heart risk), and waist size. If these shift despite healthy habits, your pattern (not effort!) may need adjusting.
💊 Supplements: B12 absorption declines around midlife, while vitamin D deficiency becomes more common. Fatigue, numbness, bone loss, or falls may warrant testing and the inclusion of new supplements.
Big picture: The goal is to always be finding a body that responds better to your efforts. As Outside describes a bee that needs to find a new flower, sometimes your routines must change. 🐝
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In other news
🧠 Fish oil may cause brain damage in certain adults
Do all brains like fish oil? Neuroscientist Onder Albayram, PhD, and researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) asked this question in a recent study, which led to a shocking discovery.
In mice with repeated mild head injuries, fish oil was linked to weaker brain repair and faster cognitive decline. 🤕
The culprit was EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil, believed to reduce inflammation and support cells and brain recovery.
In injured mice, EPA slowed blood vessel repair and increased tau buildup, a protein linked to Alzheimer’s. 🐭
DHA–the other main omega-3 in fish oil–did not show the same effect.
Because the study was done in mice, it doesn’t prove that fish oil causes cognitive decline in humans. Scientists still ask that you understand why you are taking fish oil, and they will continue to research how fish oil impacts brain function over time.
Quick reads
🧬 The genetic tradeoff: The same gene can have different effects on longevity at different ages, according to a new study.
⬇ Cholesterol myths: A new study from China suggests that lower cholesterol is not always better for longevity in very old age.
⚽ Eat like an elite athlete: Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet, at 41 years old, to stay fit, healthy, and in World Cup shape.
→ Ask LIV: Get personalized longevity insights with our updated AI feature.
Long-levity
👩🍳 Like a ‘Rolling Scone’
A retirement community cooking crew is using food to breathe new life.
Photo courtesy of Sunrise of Crystal Lake
For the “Rolling Scones,” Saturdays at Sunrise of Crystal Lake retirement community are spent making salads, recipes from Italian mothers-in-law 🍝 , and connecting while preparing home-cooked meals.
Cooking has become a creative outlet to connect and more 🤗 , allowing them to provide nutritious food for other residents managing various health conditions. It also grants the women — largely in their 80s and 90s — agency and education about using food for health.
🍳 Home-cooked health: A recent study suggests that preparing a home-cooked meal one day a week may lower dementia risk by 23-27% for people who cook and 67% for people with fewer cooking skills.
“Food has always been about connection,” says Caitlin Rogers, Sunrise’s vice president of hospitality, to TODAY. This group demonstrates that food — and love — is best served by hand.
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Poll response
A new study explains why bread causes weight gain. What is your stance on bread?
Here’s how readers weighed in:
Depends on the bread (59%)
Only if it’s ‘healthy’ (14%)
Worth it…most of the time (10%)
For most Livelong readers, it’s mindful pickings of whole-grain bread, seeded loaves, and homemade sourdough on occasion. Then again, maybe you can relate: “If bread is bad for longevity, I guess I’ll just have to be a ‘live fast, die young’ kind of gal.”
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
