Researchers from the intercommunal hospital center of Créteil have carried out the first study which explores the impact of oral supplementation of a specific omega-3, DHA, in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration.
AMD is the leading cause of blindness in industrialized countries. It would affect more than a million people in France. This disease is caused by the aging of the central area of the retina called the macula. A disorder which can lead to the total loss of central vision.
AMD can manifest itself in two different forms: a so-called “dry” (atrophic) which develops slowly, and a so-called “wet” (or exudative) form, which is more severe, the hospital explains in a press release.
The team of Professor Eric Souied, head of the ophthalmology service at the Créteil center, followed 300 patients over 3 years. They received 840 mg / day of DHA. DHA is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid from the omega-3 family.
While omega-3s are known for their health benefits, DHA would more precisely have a protective role in the survival of the retinal cells of the eye.
The researchers were able to verify its effectiveness by finding that the group that took DHA supplements had a lower risk of developing wet AMD over 3 years.
Omega-3s would therefore be good for maintaining his vision. To fill up with DHA in the diet, we eat fatty fish, these are the foods that contain the most DHA.
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