Fish Oil and Flaxseed Oil Promote Eye Health

by CP Staff

According to a new study, fish oil and flaxseed oil may improve eye moisture. The meibomian glands on the eyelid are sebaceous glands that secrete meibum, which is an oily substance composed primarily of lipids and proteins that helps prevent evaporation of tears. Lack of meibium can result in decreased eye moisture and the sensation of dry eyes.

In this new, prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 36 subjects with decreased eye moisture were supplemented with fish oil containing 450 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 300 mg of docosahexaenoic acid with 1,000 mg of flaxseed oil or placebo daily for 90 days. The subjects were evaluated at the beginning of the study and again after 90 days. The subjects underwent an eye examination and were assessed for subjective symptoms, tear break-up time, corneal staining to evaluate the corneal surface, the Schirmer type I test to measure tear production, fluorophotometry to evaluate corneal permeability, evaporometry to determine the rate of tear evaporation and lipid composition of meibomian gland secretions.

The results of the study showed that in the group receiving fish oil and flaxseed oil, 70 percent of the subjects had improvement in eye dryness, compared to only 7 percent in the placebo group. Additionally, the Schirmer test and fluorophotometry indicated that the subjects in the fish oil and flaxseed oil group had increased tear secretion. There was no change in the lipid composition of the meibum.

The study authors concluded, “Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids in dry eye showed no significant effect in meibum lipid composition or aqueous tear evaporation rate. On the other hand, the average tear production and tear volume was increased in the omega-3 group as indicated by both Schirmer testing and fluorophotometry.”

Reference:

Wojtowicz JC, Butovich I, Uchiyama E, Aronowicz J, Agee S, McCulley JP. Pilot, Prospective, Randomized, Double-masked, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of an Omega-3 Supplement for Dry Eye. Cornea. 2010 Oct 28. Published Online Ahead of Print.