| What is Omega-3 |
| How does Omega-3 Benefit the Eyes |
| Eye Diseases that Omega-3 Helps Preventing |
| Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids |
| Omega-3 Supplements for Eye Health |
| The Bottom Line |
Our eyes go through a lot of stress and we often overlook nutrients in our diet that can be beneficial to our eyes. It is essential that we strengthen our eyes since it can become difficult to reverse any serious damage to them. Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids are not only good for your heart and brain but also good for your vision. This article explores the vital omega 3 benefits for eyes.
What is Omega-3?
Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that is not naturally produced by our bodies but is crucial for our wellbeing. Fats are generally considered harmful for the body but omega-3 is an essential component for our cells. Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful as building blocks for the cells, as they are present in the cell membranes.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be of many kinds. Some of the types of omega-3 fats include:
- Alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA)
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
The two most crucial types of omega-3 fatty acids for your eyes are EPA and DHA. Let us look into omega 3 benefits for the eyes.
How does Omega-3 Benefit the Eyes?
Omega-3 is a fat that is an essential building block for your cells. As it is present in the membrane of every cell in our body, it is also present in the cells of the eyes.
We perceive vision due to the reception of light through our cornea which then gets refracted and is focused onto our retina. Our retina contains photoreceptor cells like rod and cone cells which are responsible for our perception of vision. DHA is an important component in these photoreceptor cells and accounts for a major part of their composition. Being a major component, omega-3 supplements eye health.
Omega-3 is a necessary requirement for the development of healthy vision in infants. Infants who receive an adequate amount of omega-3 in their diet develop better vision acuity (seen in infants aged 2-4 months).
Omega-3 supplements eye health by strengthening it and keeping eye diseases at bay. One of the ways omega-3 takes care of the eyes is by protecting the oil film at the edge of the eyelids. These glands (Meibomian Glands) keep the eyes from getting dry and omega-3 bolsters the health of these glands. Omega-3 also has anti-inflammatory properties and keeps the eyes from getting overstrained and stressed.
Eye Diseases that Omega-3 Helps Preventing
Omega-3 benefits for eyes include the prevention of eye problems like:
1. Dry Eyes
Dry eyes are a very common eye disorder, which occur due to excessive stress on the eyes, aging or due to other eye-related disorders like allergic conjunctivitis. Omega-3 helps prevent dry eyes, as it keeps the tear glands healthy and reduces inflammation that the dry eyes cause.
2. Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration is a serious eye disease that is responsible for the loss of vision in the central portion of your field of view. Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce the chances of the development of this disease in your eyes.
3. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease that happens due to improper draining of the eyes’ inner fluids. This causes excessive increase of eye pressure which may lead to reduced vision. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent Glaucoma, regulating the flow of the eyes’ inner fluids.
Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Given below are the food sources that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Make sure you include them in your diet in order to improve your eye health:
- Fish: Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, anchovies, and cod are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and probably the best natural source for omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.
- Walnuts: Walnuts contain a healthy amount of omega-3 fatty acids and you can include them in your daily diet to keep your eyes healthy.
- Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds or flaxseed oil is rich in omega-3. You should include them in your daily diet as they not only benefit your eyes but other parts of your body too.
Omega-3 Supplements for Eye Health
Omega-3 capsules benefits for the eyes are invaluable. Omega-3 supplements provide you with the required dosage of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. They can be consumed easily and some supplements are also suitable for the vegetarians who are unable to consume fish as a source for omega-3. Omega-3 supplements for eye health can include:
- Fish oil soft gel capsules
- Algae-based omega-3 capsules
- Liquid omega-3 supplements
The Bottom Line
Taking care of your eyes is an important aspect of your overall health. You should definitely include omega-3 fatty acids as a part of your daily diet as they protect your eyes from different eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and dry eyes. Adding fish oil to your diet would work wonders, as it is one of the best sources of omega-3. Since Omega-3 fish oil benefits for eyes are immense, you should incorporate it in your daily diet to improve your vision for the long run.
