Omega 3s significantly reduce risk of macular degeneration

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: omega-3s, macular degeneration, health news

(NaturalNews) Loading up on omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new report published in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology. Data indicates that among women consuming varying levels of omega-3s, those getting the most are 38 percent less likely to develop the eye disease than those getting the least.

William G. Christen, ScD, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues, compiled data from the infamous Women's Health Study. This data included the eating habits of more than 38,000 women, including their intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) -- two specific types of omega-3s. For ten years, researchers tracked these women's eye health and compared it to their omega-3 consumption patterns.

At the end of the study period, 235 women developed AMD, and after adjusting for various external factors, the team determined a nearly 40 percent decreased risk of developing the eye disease among those who consumed the most omega-3s.

"[T]hese prospective data from a large population of women with no prior diagnosis of AMD indicate that regular consumption of DHA and EPA and fish significantly reduced the risk of incident AMD," wrote the authors.

A previous study published in the journal Ophthalmology found similar results, maintaining that elderly folks who consume high amounts of omega-3s are less likely to develop AMD than those who do not (https://www.naturalnews.com/030614_omega-3s_e...). And as many NaturalNews readers already know, omega-3s provide a myriad of other health benefits as well.

"Some of the reported benefits of the omega-3s include protection against heart disease, strokes, and clots in the lungs; anti-carcinogenic activity against tumors; protection against diabetes; prevention and treatment of arthritis; and treatment for asthma, PMS, allergies, inflammatory diseases, water retention, rough or dry skin, and multiple sclerosis," writes Gabriel Cousens in his book There Is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program.

"The omega-3s are reported to increase vitality and contribute to smoother skin, shinier hair, softer hands, smoother muscle action, the normalization of blood sugar, increased cold weather resistance, and a generally improved immune system."

Sources for this story include:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-...