A diet rich in oily fish could hold the key to preventing blindness among thousands of the elderly, research has found.
The omega-3 group of fatty acids, found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and fresh tuna, may help protect against the most common form of sight loss among older people, it suggests.
Scientists studying the diets of adults over the age of 65 found those who regularly ate seafood were far less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, which is caused by the death of cells in the retina.
There is currently no cure for the condition, which affects almost a third of Britons over the age of 75.
It gradually causes sufferers to lose their ‘central vision’, meaning they can no longer see what is directly in front of them, making activities such as reading, writing, driving and watching television almost impossible.
Oily fish can prevent blindness
Almost 240,000 people in Britain are thought to suffer from some form of visual impairment caused by AMD.
In the study, American scientists surveyed 2,400 volunteers aged 65 to 84. Those who ate oily fish or shellfish – particularly crab, oysters or mussels – twice a week or more often were far less likely to have AMD, the results in the Ophthalmology journal revealed.
It is thought that the omega-3s may help protect cells in the retina from damage caused by sunlight, which occurs gradually with age.
The research at Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland backs up earlier studies which showed omega-3s help slow the progression of advanced AMD.
Lead researcher Dr Sheila West said: ‘While participants in all groups, including controls, averaged at least one serving of fish or shellfish per week, those who had advanced AMD were significantly less likely to consume high omega-3 fish and seafood.’
Omega-3 fatty acids have long been known to help lower blood pressure, decrease the risk of irregular heart rhythms, halt growth of fat clogging the arteries and reduce levels of the harmful fat triglyceride, which has been linked to heart attacks.
Research has also shown they cut the risk of prostate and skin cancer.
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UK new outlets today (25 March 09) reported that eating oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring could help fight prostate cancer. These oily fish contain high levels of Omega-3, a fatty acid, which has been shown to have health benefits.
The new claims are based on research by scientists at the University of California and reported in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
What was the study?
They studied the diets of 466 men diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and 478 healthy men. The men were then put into one of four groups based on the amount of omega-3 in their diets. They found that men with the highest level of intake had a 63% reduced risk of “aggressive prostate cancer” compared with those with the lowest intake.
The scientists then divided the men into two groups – those with a gene linked to prostate cancer (Cox-2), and those without it. The study found that even amongst men with the gene, high Omega-3 intake still reduced their risk of advanced prostate cancer.
What does this mean?
According to a spokesman for the study, eating oily fish high in Omega-3 at least once a week effectively reversed the increased risk of contracting advanced prostate cancer for men with the Cox-2 gene.
Of course, this is not a cure for prostate cancer, but the study does show that the risk can be reduced.