It is not a surprise that one of the most critical aspects of your overall health is your diet. Even though the phrase, “We become what we eat” isn’t completely true, the food which we put into our body has a major impact on our health and the same applies for your vision. In this blog, we’re going to focus on a particular supplement that is very important for our eyes and especially our retina, Omega-3 Fatty Acids. What are OMEGA-3 Fatty Acids?
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids are supplements which are usually found in foods such as fish and flaxseed.
- There are mainly three types of Omega-3 Fatty Acids which are:
- Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
- While EPA and DHA are mainly found in seafood, ALA is also found in non-fish sources such as flaxseed and soybeans.
- ALA is an essential acid, i.e. your body cannot produce it on its own, and therefore you need to it from your diet. Even though our body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, it does so in very small amounts so it’s more practical to get it from food or other dietary supplements.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids are important for our bodies as they are part of the membranes that surround the cells of our body. They play a vital role for our blood vessels, heart, immune system, lungs, and endocrine system.
How does OMEGA-3 Fatty Acids help our retina? Even though OMEGA-3 Fatty Acids are beneficial for our overall health, in this section we are going to focus on the benefits of OMEGA-3 Fatty Acids for our retina, which is the sensory membrane which lines the back of our eye and enables us to experience vision
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids have anti-inflammatory properties which help in fighting retinal diseaseslike macular degeneration which are often caused by chronic inflammation.
- As we previously mentioned, the membranes of our cells contain a high amount of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Omega-3 Fatty Acids help in maintaining the structure of the membranes of our cells and re-enforces the structural strength of our cells, leading to better health and a better life.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids also help in the growth of new blood vessels. The result of improper growth of new blood vessels usually results in retinal diseases like wet macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 Fatty Acids are not only an important supplement for our eyes but also for our entire health in general. Even though most likely we get enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids from our diet already, a deficiency of Omega-3 Fatty Acids can be very harmful to our health and eyes. To know more about your dietary considerations for your eyes, consult your ophthalmologist.
