Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil and available in supplements as well as dietary fish are a type of essential fatty acid. The body can't manufacture essential fatty acids, so a person's diet must supply them. Fish oil assists with nerve, cell and muscle functions and also helps regulate cardiovascular functions and blood clotting. Fish oil in foods or supplements may also benefit eyes by decreasing the risk of several different diseases.
Types
Several eye problems may improve with fish oil supplementation. Benefits of fish oil may start in infancy with premature infants. Dry-eye syndrome and macular degeneration, which is abnormal blood vessel growth in the macula, the central point of vision on the macula, may improve or not develop in people taking fish oil. Cataracts, or clouding of the lens capsule in the eye, and glaucoma, high pressure within the eye, may also be prevented with fish oil.
Available Forms
Eating coldwater fish such as salmon, tuna, herring or sardines or taking fish oil capsules can supply fish oil. For infants, fish oil may be added to formula. Wild-caught fish contain higher levels of omega-3 than farmed fish, the website All About Vision says.
Benefits
A study reported in the June 2000 issue of the journal "Pediatrics" found that premature infants fed formula fortified with DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, had better visual acuity at 2 and 4 months of age than infants whose formula did not contain DHA. Studies have also shown that adult women who eat two servings of tuna per week have a significantly decreased risk of developing dry eye, All About Vision reports. All About Vision also reported results of a large European study that found eating fish one or more times a week reduced the risk of developing wet macular degeneration, the most serious type, by 50 percent. Eating fish three times a week may also lower the risk of cataract development, according to Medline Plus.
Risks
Taking fish oil to decrease eye problems can cause some potentially harmful effects in other parts of the body. People taking medications to lower blood pressure may find that blood pressure drops too much if they add fish oil. Taking fish oil along with medications that prevent blood clotting can increase the risk of bleeding, Medline Plus reports. Using fish oil long-term may cause vitamin E deficiency unless vitamin E supplementation is also taken. Some fish oil supplements also contain vitamin E to prevent this problem. People with bipolar disease and depression may have worsening symptoms while taking fish oil. Large amounts of fish oil can increase LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, and can also reduce the immune system's efficiency.
Considerations
Taking omega-3 fatty acids has health benefits that extend beyond the eyes, but people taking fish oil for eye problems must consider the effects, both positive and negative, of fish oil on other health conditions.
References
- All About Vision: Using Flexseed Oil and Fish Oil to Prevent Dry Eye
- All About Vision: Eye Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- MedlinePlus: Fish Oil
- "Pediatrics"; "Meta-analysis of Dietary Essential Fatty Acids and Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids as They Relate to Visual Resolution Acuity in Healthy Preterm Infants"; John Paul SanGiovanni et al; June 2000
