Dry Eye Syndrome: Fish Oil and Antioxidants, a Help for the Condition

Supplements based on Omega 3 and antioxidants alleviate the symptoms of dry eye syndrome and modify the tear composition in patients affected by the disorder, both in mild and moderate forms.

This is reported by a study published in the journal Molecular Vision in recent months, conducted by researchers from the University of Valencia (Spain).

A very common eye condition

Dry eye syndrome (DES) is one of the most frequent conditions in ophthalmology and is characterized by a series of symptoms. The most common are redness, itching, sensation of a foreign body, pain, and blurred vision.

The condition can be caused by insufficient tear production or by tear loss due to evaporation.

Dry eye syndrome usually affects people around 60 years old. The disorder can be triggered by various factors such as environmental pollutants, air conditioning, excessive computer use, hormonal changes, or medications.

Many studies on this condition focus on identifying substances in patients’ tears, such as oxidant and antioxidant molecules, antibodies, inflammation signaling molecules, and hormones.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered potentially useful for treating eye diseases. Some molecules derived from omega-3s, eicosanoids, can exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, while those derived from omega-6s act as pro-inflammatory substances.

Tears of DES patients differ from those of healthy subjects

The study involved 90 participants: 35 healthy subjects (control group) and 55 diagnosed with DES, including 22 patients with mild form and 33 with moderate form.

All participants took three capsules daily for 3 months, containing a combination of antioxidants and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Using a special nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy method (1H NMR S), researchers analyzed the metabolic profile of each subject’s tears before and after supplementation.

This technique helps determine and identify the structure of components in a substance. With this method, it is possible to examine body fluids and detect very small substances.

The analysis results revealed that tears had different metabolite profiles between the two groups, and changed before and after supplementation.

Specifically, about 50 substances were identified, including cholesterol, N-acetylglucosamine, glutamate, amino-n-butyrate, glucose, and formate before supplementation, and choline and acetylcholine after supplementation.

The same patients also showed improvements in DES symptoms after 3 months; the main improvements concerned eye dryness, irritation, itching, foreign body sensation, photophobia, and eye fatigue.

Moreover, 18% of patients reported an improved quality of life and felt emotionally better.

Antioxidants and omega-3 to counteract DES

According to the researchers, these data indicate that DES induces changes in the types of chemical compounds contained in tears, which can be modified with appropriate doses of antioxidants and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Source: 

Carmen Galbis-Estrada, Maria Dolores Pinazo-Durán, Sebastián Martínez-Castillo, José M. Morales, Daniel Monleón, Vicente Zanon-Moreno. “A metabolomic approach to dry eye disorders. The role of oral supplements with antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids”  Molecular Vision 2015; 21:555-567