Multimicronutrient and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces low-grade inflammation in older participants: An exploratory study

Aging is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, while the status of anti-inflammatory (INFLA) micronutrients such as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), vitamin D, folate, and cobalamin is often low in older people. We hypothesized that n-3 PUFA and certain micronutrients reduce low-grade inflammation in older participants. To test this hypothesis the aim of this randomised, double-blinded, 12-week intervention study involving 112 healthy and physically active older participants (75.6 ± 3.9 years) was to investigate the effect of a multimicronutrient and n-3 PUFA supplementation in physiological doses (i.e., 400 µg folic acid, 100 µg cobalamin, 50 µg cholecalciferol, and 1000 mg eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid per day) on INFLA biomarkers, which were aggregated in the INFLA score. Dietary intake data were converted into the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII). A significant increase in the nutrient status biomarkers Omega-3 Index, serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, red blood cell folate, and holotranscobalamin was observed in the intervention group compared to the placebo group (all P < .001). In a multiadjusted model (age, sex, body mass index, E-DII, Omega-3 Index), the intervention significantly decreased the INFLA score compared to placebo (P = .036). Participants with a more pro-INFLA E-DII at baseline and higher age showed a greater decrease in the INFLA score than those with a more anti-INFLA E-DII (P = .028) and lower age (P = .043). An effect of multimicronutrient + n-3 PUFA supplementation seems to be more pronounced in older participants with higher age and those with a pro-INFLA background diet.

Trial registration: This study is officially recorded in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00021302, registration date: 23.04.2020).