Optometry News: Fish Oil May Help to Prevent Degenerative Eye Diseases

This month the optometry world was set alightpart of the retina (which is called the macula)
by new research that suggested that fish oildeteriorates and impairs vision.
might help to prevent degenerative eye diseases.Omega-3 fatty acids are contained in RPE cells
Oily fish, and in particular the omega-3 fatty acidswhich are vitally important for the survival of
that it contains, seems to be a new wonder drug.photoreceptor cells. Eye diseases which can cause
It has recently been shown to slow the effectsblindness lead the photoreceptor cells to
of senile dementia and now it seems that it coulddegenerate and die.
also be linked to the prevention of ocular diseases.RPE cells help to protect the photoreceptor cells
Optometrists have found that omega-3 fattyalong with another chemical called
acids could protect cells in the retina from adocosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The new research
number of conditions such as age-related macularsuggests that Omega-3 fatty acids from fish, and
degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. This isparticularly DHA, reduces the risk of macular
exciting news because macular degeneration isdegeneration by 30% by increasing the protection
the main cause of blindness amongst the overof the photoreceptor cells.
65s.According to studies, people over the age of 65
The macula is the retina's central and mostare more scared about losing their vision than any
significant part. It is responsible for recordingother symptoms of old age. With the results of
images and sending them from the eye to thethe optometry research clearly demonstrating
brain via the optic nerve. It also focuses thethat omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent eye
central vision required for driving, reading andloss, blindness could become much rarer amongst
recognising faces.the elderly.
With age-related macular degeneration the central