Omega-3 fatty acid may reduce the incidence of dry eyes
Story originally posted on November 7, 2005
Interesting news for those of us who suffer from dry eyes. A new Harvard study has determined that women who ate a diet that was high in foods that contained substantial levels of omega-3 fats lowered their chances of getting dry eye syndrome by as much as 68 percent. Yet fascinatingly those who followed a diet that was high Omega-6 fats doubled their chances of developing dry eyes.
Many ICers have overlapping conditions such as Sjogren’s Syndrome and Lupus which can contribute to, or be the source of, our dry eyes. As well ICers often take numerous medications that list dry eyes amongst their side affects. Other factors including humidity, genetics and weather can all come into play too when we talking about potential causes for dry eyes. A condition which is known as Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) can also occur on it’s own, it is caused by a problem in the quality of “tear film” that lubricates our eyes. This condition can therefore affect ICers too as a separate source of dry, irritated eyes (no statistics are known as to whether or not DES is more common in women or men with IC). DES is often treated with eye medications or a surgery that places minute plugs into your tear ducts. Yet these two things do not always guarantee symptom relief and prolonged suffering from dry eyes can eventually lead to problems like poor vision and trouble reading.
The Harvard study, the results of which were published in the October 2005 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (82(4): 887-893) tested omega fats on over 32, 000 women (men were not tested in this study) between the ages of 45-84. The reason why researchers think that Omega-3 fatty acid helped so much in reducing the incidence of DES is because it helps to reduce inflammation through out the entire body. When inflammation levels drop dry eye problems often decrease as well. Omega-3 fatty oil can be obtained in high through fish and fish oil, primarily good quality cod liver oil. It is also found in high amounts in flax seed (linseed) oil, which can be the perfect source for vegetarians and vegans.
Information resources:
Relation between dietary n–3 and n–6 fatty acids and clinically diagnosed dry eye syndrome in women