Jon Chu

Metastasis—the spread of cancer to new organs—is responsible for 90% of all human cancer deaths. Exercise—particularly high-intensity exercise—increases blood flow and shear stress in blood vessels. This mechanical force makes it harder for circulating tumor cells to survive, spread, and form metastases. Several lines of evidence support this anti-cancer mechanism: - In vitro studies show that exercise-equivalent levels of shear stress kill up to 90% of circulating tumor cells, including highly metastatic and drug-resistant breast cancer cells. - In animal studies, mice who exercise have fewer circulating tumor cells and a 50–60% lower rate of metastasis and tumor growth. - In humans, higher physical activity levels are linked to reduced cancer recurrence, possibly due to lower metastatic spread. The powerful force of blood flow achieved during exercise actively disrupts cancer spread, which is just one of the ways exercise benefits the long-term health and survival of cancer patients.

Combining omega-3s, vitamin D, and regular exercise may reduce biological aging far beyond the impacts of these interventions in isolation, a new study indicates. Specifically, supplementing with omega-3s alone reduced biological age on several next-generation epigenetic clocks during the 3-year study. It also slowed the pace of biological aging. Omega-3s combined with vitamin D or exercise had an even greater benefit on phenotypic age when compared to any singe intervention. The biggest benefit for phenotypic age—a nearly 4-month reduction—was observed when omega-3s, vitamin D, and exercise were combined. This aligns with what we know about the individual effects of these interventions. Having a low omega-3 index is more strongly associated with all-cause mortality than smoking. Vitamin D plays a critical role in modulating several mechanisms associated with the "hallmarks of aging." Being sedentary is one of the strongest predictors of an early death—and exercise is one of the most powerful ways to delay it. These results suggest that while omega-3s have powerful anti-aging effects, they also enhance the benefits of supplementing with vitamin D and engaging in regular exercise. There is a synergy among healthy lifestyle habits. Study PMID: 39900648