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13.08.2022

Supplements with omega-3 fatty acids effective against dry eyes

If you are no longer very young, you may notice that your eyes produce less tear fluid. If you like to put a medical label on such discomforts, you can tell that you suffer from 'dry eye disease'. And if you also like to do something about your dry eye disease in a natural way, you can consider increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Meta-study
Giuseppe Giannaccare, an ophthalmologist at the University of Bologna, collected 17 previously published trials in which doctors treated subjects with dry eye disease with supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids. A total of 3,363 subjects participated in the trials.

The trials had lasted several months to a year. The composition of the supplements varied quite a bit, but the quality of the studies was not bad at all.

The table below gives you an idea of ​​the supplements the researchers had used and the duration of administration. Click it for a larger version.

Results
Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids helped, the figure below shows.

A series of studies by a research group in India in particular reported a great deal of effect. These studies were, in fact, well-designed, as far as Giannaccare could judge. He suggests that supplementation with fish oil in India may be more beneficial than elsewhere in the world.

"The typical Indian diet is predominantly vegetarian and thus has negligible intakes of fish derived omega-3 fatty acids", writes Giannaccare. "It may be possible that low dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids is responsible for the higher efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation observed in Indian patients with dry eyes disease."

Omega-3 supplementation doesn't just cause eyes to produce more tear fluid, the studies suggest. Extra omega-3 fatty acids also make the tear fluid firmer.

Conclusion
"Based on current evidence available, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may be recommended in clinical practice for treatment of this condition", concludes Giannaccare.

"Further RCTs are needed to provide evidence regarding omega-3 fatty acids' optimal dosage, biochemical composition, and duration of treatment."

More coming soon.

Source:
Cornea. 2019 May;38(5):565-73.

More:
Fish oil allows your eyes to get used to the dark faster 02.04.2021

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