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If you want to add years to your life, it might be time to add some fish to the menu. New research shows that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood are contributing to a lifespan of about five years longer than the norm.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Researchers from the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Spain and The Fatty Acid Research Institute in the United States teamed up to examine data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort \u2013 a report that\u2019s been following residents from a Massachusetts town since 1971.<\/p>\n The study was analyzed in over 2,200 people\u2019s blood fatty acid levels of those over the age of 65, monitoring each person\u2019s health for about 11 years.<\/p>\n In fact, the team discovered that an increase of one percent in omega-3 levels can reduce a person\u2019s risk of death as much as quitting smoking.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving higher levels of these acids in the blood, as a result of regularly including oily fish in the diet, increases life expectancy by almost five years,\u201d said IMIM\u2019s Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group Dr. Aleix Sala-Vila in a news release.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Based on the results, four types of fatty acids contributed positively, keeping people healthy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we have found is not insignificant. It reinforces the idea that small changes in diet in the right direction can have a much more powerful effect than we can think, and it is never too late or too early to make these changes,\u201d the researcher noted.<\/p>\n The authors of this study are planning to examine the fatty acids on a larger scale of the population, including European residents. In addition, the American Heart Association recommends eating oily fish twice a week. This can include sardines, tuna, or salmon.<\/p>\n