It makes sense that omega-3s would be helpful in saving your eyesight, says Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, a research scientist at the Carotenoids and Health Laboratory in the Jean Mayer USDA Health and Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University in Boston. Nervous tissue and the retinas contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, especially one known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, a particularly beneficial omega-3), she says. According to Dr. SanGiovanni, healthy fats likely guard against AMD by fighting inflammation.
To date, all studies of dietary fat and AMD have been observational, meaning researchers have looked at what people eat and checked their vision over time. SanGiovanni is running a clinical trial, AREDS 2, in which people have been assigned to take omega-3 fatty acids (and/or two pigments found in the retina called lutein and zeaxanthin) or a placebo, the gold standard for determining cause and effect. He says he’s hesitant to make nutritional recommendations until the results are published, which he expects will happen about four years from now.
But Johnson points out that the nutritional recommendations revealed by the current study—including eating a healthy balance of omega-6 fatty acids in relation to omega-3s—can easily be accomplished by following the USDA “My Pyramid” diet guidelines.
“I recommend to my patients that they consume a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fish, especially salmon, sardines and mackerel, as well as nuts and green, leafy vegetables,” says Johanna Seddon, MD, of the New England Eye Center and Tufts University School of Medicine. ”Those not able to consume these foods should consider taking supplements containing fish oil or lutein.”
Dr. Seddon and her colleagues first reported findings linking omega-3 fatty acids and fish intake to lower AMD risk in 1994.
*Article updated 5/13/2009 to correct spelling of John Paul SanGiovanni.
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