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Eat oily fish to protect your eyesight15 August 2008
Professor Astrid Fletcher, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Eating oily fish at least once a week may help to protect your eyesight into older age, new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown. The study, carried out in over 2,000 people across Europe and coordinated by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, found that those people who routinely ate oily fish at least once a week were 50 percent less likely to have wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than those who ate fish less frequently. Wet AMD is a condition causing gradual damage to the eye, and is the major cause of blindness in people aged over 65 in the Western world. Although AMD is generally associated with older people, it's never too early to get into good habits, according to lead researcher Professor Astrid Fletcher from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: "As with most diseases of later-life, there is a long period of development," she told the Bupa health information team, "you need to lay down those patterns of eating early in life." "It is the regularity and the level that you need," she added. "Most of the studies that have been done in this area have not seen any significant benefit in eating less than one portion of fish a week." This apparent beneficial effect of oily fish is thought to be due to the high levels of certain omega 3 fatty acids they contain. These are called DHA (docasahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) - in the study, people who had the highest levels of DHA and EPA were the least likely to have wet AMD. Oily fish are a direct source of DHA and EPA - and it's hard to get your recommended intake from elsewhere. Omega 3 supplements aren't recommended by Professor Fletcher's research team as not enough is currently known about any long-term side-effects they may have on AMD. Other dietary sources such as nuts and seeds contain different types of omega 3 fatty acids. With only small amounts of these being converted to DHA and EPA in the body, it seems that oily fish really is your best bet for getting your recommended intake. Related informationBack to the latest health news
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As with most diseases of later-life, there is a long period of development - you need to lay down those patterns of eating early in life 
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