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Have Adequate Fish In Your Diet; It Helps Your Eyes' Health

By Shubham Ghosh

We all know that fats are bad for our health. But, it is also important to know that fats do have a helpful role to play for our body as well. Our body can't function properly without the right kind of fats and even the health of our eyes depends on it.

Fatty acids are crucial for the production of cells, muscles, nerves, etc. Some fatty acids or essential fatty acids are necessary for our diet, since our body cannot produce them.

Of the essential fatty acids, the omega-3 type is also beneficial for our eye health and fish is a major source of this particular fatty acid.

Omega-3 fatty acids help improve the vision in both infants and adults. In case of infants, they are found in the maternal breast milk, besides some supplementary formulas. Also, giving pregnant women adequate omega-3 fatty acids helps in improving their newborn's vision.

are fish good for eyes

Cold-Water Fish Offers Great Nutrition For Eye Health
In case of adults, omega-3 fatty acids guard their eyes from macular (related to macula of the eye) degeneration and avoid dryness. These also help in having a proper drainage of intraocular fluid from the eyes, which reduces the risk of high eye pressure and ailments like glaucoma.

And in this connection, cold-water fish (high in both DHA, which is docosahexaenoic acid, and EPA, which is eicoapentaenoic acid) becomes an essential source of omega-3 fatty acids in adults.

Fishes that have been caught fresh from the nature are better than the farmed ones. Sardines, herring, tuna, salmon, etc., are helpful varieties.

For those who hate to take fish, fish oil supplements can be a good alternative to make-up for the nutrition offered by the omega-3 fatty acids.

are fish good for eyes

Fish Protects Against Macular Degeneration
Adults who eat a high quantity of fish are found to be less vulnerable to age-related macular degeneration (which can lead to serious vision impairment) than those who don't. The macular degeneration can lead to serious loss of vision because of abnormal growth of blood vessels behind the retina (wet age-related macular degeneration) from the breakdown of light-sensitive retina (dry age-related macular degeneration) cells.

are fish good for eyes

Having Better Eyesight
Like various fruits and vegetables, fish also help in improving our eyesight, as the omega-3 fatty acids in them are found in the retina. The antioxidants in fish also help provide protection against blindness.

are fish good for eyes

Fish Oil Helps Our Eyes & Avoids Dryness
A recent study which was carried out in India said omega-3 oil supplements can cure dry eye, the world's most common problem related to the vital organs, by as high as 105 per cent. Dry eyes can cause long-term damage if left untreated; and here fish oil plays a crucial role.

The Meibomian glands present in the eyelids need omega-3 fatty acids to produce oil across the eye surface when we blink and it acts like a cling film and reduces evaporation, preventing dryness in the eyes in the process.

But because of extended hours before computer and television or prolonged driving or reading, symptoms of the eye's dryness begin to appear. Also, factors like smoke, dust, air-conditioned ambience, etc., can aggravate the condition and, in that case, only omega-3 fatty acids, found in either fish or fish oil, can help.

Story first published: Friday, October 14, 2016, 16:22 [IST]
Read more about: fish eyes vitamin diet