Omega-3: Benefits for the Eyes from the Retina to the Brain

The retina, that thin membrane that covers your eyeball, is a triumph of bioengineering. Here, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a very important Omega-3, reigns supreme: it constitutes up to 50% of the lipids present. A fact that reveals the crucial importance of Omega-3 also for ocular health.

Vision Supplements: From Infancy to Old Age

The benefits of Omega-3 for vision even precede the first breath. The analysis of the results of 12 different studies, conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and published in the journal Early Human Development, reveal that newborns fed with milk enriched with these essential fatty acids show superior visual abilities already at 2 months.

And the positive impact of Omega-3s doesn't stop in childhood.

As we age, our retina continues to require essential fatty acids. A diet that provides the right amount of Omega-3 stands as a bulwark against macular degeneration, a condition that damages the central part of the retina, causing a progressive loss of central vision. It is the most common cause of blindness in the world.

Supplements that help eyesight: the case of retinitis pigmentosa

Even those who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease of the retina that causes a progressive loss of night vision and peripheral visual field, can benefit from taking Omega-3.

This is demonstrated by a study from Harvard Medical School in Boston, which monitored the health status of patients aged between 18 and 55 for 4 years, all affected by this pathology. What was observed? That, if the classic vitamin A therapy is associated with the integration of 1.2 grams of DHA per day, a two-year slowdown in the progression of the disease is observed.

Studies on natural supplements for eyesight

The scientific world continues to explore the benefits of Omega-3 for eye health. Research is in full swing, driven by a crucial question: how far can these essential fatty acids reach?

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), funded by the US National Eye Institute, had already revealed how high doses of a powerful quartet of antioxidants – vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and zinc – can effectively slow the degeneration of the macula lutea, the central part of the retina responsible for detailed and colour vision.

Researchers at the National Eye Institute have hypothesized that omega-3s could join the antioxidant team in the fight against macular degeneration, slowing the progression of the condition.

We continue to follow these developments closely, ready to transform the latest scientific discoveries into concrete solutions for the well-being of your eyes. Let's make a difference in your life together.