Slayer's Den

[01dragonslayer]

High-DHA Fish Oil for Vision Health​

How can you admire your abs if your eyesight fails? Here's one supplement that helps with multiple maladies affecting your vision.​

A 2018 survey revealed that 8% of Americans use fish oil regularly. Today, that number is much higher. And something interesting happens when millions of people use the same drug or supplement: we discover new side effects. In the case of fish oil, that side effect was positive: people using high-dose fish oil started noticing improved vision.

Nice! Add eye health to fish oil's long list of health benefits. But let's geek out a minute and figure out why fish oil helps and how we can maximize the benefits.

The Enemies of Eyeballs​

Here are the most common afflictions and diseases:

• Dry Eye Syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). Over 16 million Americans are diagnosed with it. In short, your eyes don't produce enough tears (or the tears evaporate quickly), causing dryness, irritation, and inflammation.
• Macular Degeneration. Usually age-related, this is a degenerative condition affecting the central part of the retina (the macula) responsible for sharp central vision. It leads to blurriness or even blindness in the center of your visual field. Around 11 million Americans have it currently.
• Glaucoma. Affecting over 3 million Americans, glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve (via intraocular pressure), leading to partial or complete blindness.

All these conditions can be brought on by multiple things: diet and lifestyle factors, medications, trauma, genetics, screen time, other diseases, etc., but age is one of the biggest factors. Live long enough, and these conditions creep up on you.


Anatomy1920×785 348 KB

So How Does Fish Oil Improve Vision Health?​

Fish oil is, of course, rich in omega-3 fatty acids: DHA and EPA. Unlike most supplements, omega-3s literally become part of your body, and that's important for vision health. Here's how fish oil does battle with the major eye problems:

1. Dry Eye Syndrome: Omega-3s improve the production and quality of tears. Their anti-inflammatory properties reduce eye inflammation.
2. Macular Degeneration: DHA is a major structural component of the retina. Consume enough of it and DHA lowers the risk of macular degeneration.
3. Glaucoma: Fish oil helps lower intraocular pressure, reducing the risk of glaucoma.

DHA 5 particularly is essential for the development and maintenance of retinal function, protecting retinal cells from damage and degeneration. Overall, the anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil help prevent eye diseases linked to chronic inflammation, and most of them are.


DHA1920×785 136 KB

The DHA Piece of the Puzzle​

EPA is good for your eyes, no doubt, mainly because of its anti-inflammatory effects, but DHA is the all-star when it comes to keeping your peepers peeping.

Your retina is basically built with DHA. Deficiencies in DHA lead to degeneration. DHA is also neuroprotective, helping to shield ganglion cells and photoreceptors from damage and apoptosis (cell death). And, like EPA, DHA reduces inflammation.

What you want in a fish oil supplement is both DHA and EPA, but more DHA.

How Much Fish Oil?​

If we look at a whole bunch of studies about eye health and fish oil, here's what we'll see if we average them out:

1. Dry Eye Syndrome: 500 to 1500 mg daily
2. Macular Degeneration: 1,000 to 2,500 mg daily
3. Glaucoma: 1,000 to 3,000 mg daily

Generally, the most successful studies lean toward the higher daily dosages with results coming after 6 to 8 weeks.