New Delhi, Aug 20 (NationPress) A diet abundant in omega-3 fatty acids is essential not just for adults but also plays a significant role in preventing the onset of myopia in children, according to a global research study.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs), which are primarily sourced from dietary intake, particularly in fish oils, are believed to mitigate or avert various chronic eye disorders, such as dry eye disease and age-related macular degeneration.

However, the potential of these nutrients in combating myopia was previously unclear, given that prior studies had been experimental without human subjects.

“This research provides human evidence that a higher intake of dietary ω-3 PUFAs correlates with shorter axial length and reduced myopic refraction, underscoring ω-3 PUFAs as a possibly protective dietary element against myopia,” stated the lead researcher, Prof Jason C Yam from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Axial length measures the eye from the cornea to the retina and serves as a marker for myopia progression, while myopic refraction, known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that results in blurry vision for distant objects.

“Omega-3 fatty acids may counteract myopia by enhancing blood flow through the choroid—the eye’s vascular layer responsible for supplying nutrients and oxygen—thus preventing scleral hypoxia, a critical factor in the development of myopia,” Yam elaborated.

The findings, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, also indicated that high consumption of saturated fats, typically found in foods like butter, palm oil, and red meat, could increase the likelihood of developing myopia.

For this study, a collaborative team from China, the US, and Singapore analyzed data from 1,005 children aged 6 to 8 years in China.

The researchers evaluated the children’s vision while also examining their dietary habits and physical activity levels.

Approximately 27.5% of the participants (276 children) were identified as myopic.

Higher levels of dietary omega-3 fatty acids were linked to a decreased risk of myopia, while those with regular high intakes of saturated fats exhibited an increased risk.

Researchers noted that this is an observational study and cannot definitively establish causal relationships or temporal factors, acknowledging that food frequency questionnaires are based on recall and provide merely a “snapshot in time” of dietary habits.