Omega-3 fatty acids tied to longer life: study

Supporting recommendations that people eat a couple of servings of fish per week, a new study suggests adults with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood are less likely to die from a range of causes than those with the lowest levels. Out of about 2,700 older Americans, researchers found people with the most circulating omega-3s - usually found in oily fishes such as tuna or sardines - lived about two years longer than those with the lowest levels, on average. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, the study's lead author from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, told Reuters Health the findings suggest people should work more oily fish into their diets. "The vast majority of Americans don't eat two servings of fish per week. That would be ideal," Mozaffarian said. Omega-3 fatty acids have long been thought to offer protection against a lengthy list of health problems - from premature births to heart disease. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_135564.html