Omega 3 and AMD

Omega 3 and AMD (Aged-related Mascular Degeneration):

Macular degeneration is a progressive disease that affects central vision – what you see directly in front of you as opposed to your peripheral or side vision. The macula is the central portion of the retina, the paper-thin tissue at the back of the eye where light-sensitive cells send visual signals to the brain, and is responsible for detailed vision.

This problem occurs when the central part of the retina deteriorates. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common eye disease and is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in the United States in people over the age of 50.

Damage to the macula results in the development of blind spots and blurred or distorted vision, this AMD problem could affect your ability to perform basic activities of daily living such as driving, reading, and walking.


Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish oil may protect against progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but the benefits appear to depend on the stage of disease and whether certain supplements are taken, report researchers at the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research (LNVR), Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University School of Medicine.

The researchers calculated intakes of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from dietary questionnaires administered to 2,924 men and women, aged 55 to 80 years, participating in an eight-year supplement trial, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) of the National Eye Institute (NEI). The AREDS trial results suggest taking supplements of antioxidants plus zinc prevents progression of late-stage AMD.

"In our study, we observed participants with early stages of AMD in the placebo group benefited from higher intake of DHA, but it appears that the high-dose supplements of the antioxidants and/or the minerals somehow interfered with the benefits of DHA against early AMD progression," says senior author Allen Taylor, PhD, director of the LNVR at the USDA HNRCA.

The antioxidant supplements did not seem to interfere with the protective effects of DHA and EPA against progression to advanced stages of AMD. Participants who consumed higher amounts of DHA and EPA appeared to have lower risk of progression to both wet and dry forms of advanced AMD. The results are published on-line ahead of print in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

That's why both EPA and DHA of which are essential to improve your vision and protect your eyesights against age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

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