A groundbreaking international study has found that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may significantly reduce the risk of developing myopia (shortsightedness) in children — a condition that is rapidly rising in prevalence worldwide.The research, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, is one of the first large-scale human studies to link dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) — found mainly in fish oils — to slower eye growth and healthier vision in young children.
“This study provides the human evidence that higher dietary ω-3 PUFA intake is associated with shorter axial length and less myopic refraction,” said lead researcher Prof. Jason C. Yam from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, highlighting omega-3s as a potential protective dietary factor against myopia.
According to Prof. Yam, omega-3 fatty acids could boost blood flow through the choroid, the vascular layer of the eye that supplies oxygen and nutrients. This, in turn, may help prevent scleral hypoxia — a lack of oxygen in the white part of the eye — believed to be a contributing factor in eye elongation and the onset of myopia.