January 10, 2018 - Dry-Eye
Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam and I want to talk to you today about the benefits of omega 3 fish oil for dry-eye syndrome.
I’m going to report on two studies.
The first was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and researchers found that women who supplemented with omega-3 fish oil had fewer symptoms of chronic dry-eye syndrome.
The second study was published in The Journal of Cornea, researchers found that people who supplemented with omega-3 fish oil over a 12 week period reduced many of their signs and symptoms of chronic dry-eye syndrome. In this study, researchers took a baseline on corneal tear production. Then, people were given 1500 milligrams of EPA and 500 milligrams of DHEA. Their tears were measured after six weeks and twelve weeks. Researchers reported a statistically significant improvement in the supplementation of omega-3 fish oil.
Researchers also tested the tear break-up time – this is a test to determine how quickly tears dry on the cornea. Again, researchers found a significant reduction in the tear breakup time ad dry-eye.
How to choose an Omega-3 Supplement
In terms of supplementing with omega-3 fish oil, there’s something called reestrafied, or triglyceride-bound omega-3 fish oil. In the omega-3 supplement, I prefer over 90% of the omega-3 fish oils is triglyceride-bound. This means that the omega-3s are much more easily absorbed into the body. The industry standard is only 40-50% – so you want to shop wisely and do your research.
Because our body cannot produce omega-3, we must get it through our diet and supplements. Foods that naturally have omega-3s include fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia, and some leafy green vegetables such as brussels sprouts, spinach, and kale.
Given the large amount of research on the topic, we should understand omega-3 fish oil as a primary therapy in addressing the causative factors of dry-eye syndrome.