Omega 3 Fatty Acids Come Out On Top Again
Written by Jane Tucker | Thursday, 30 July 2009 | There is 1 comment
the testing of gene therapies delivered intraocularly
More research and evidence has been released with shows that diets which contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids can be instrumental in preventing macular degeneration which causes the majority of blindness in older people. Age-related macular degeneration is responsible for around one in ten adults between the ages of 66 and 74 developing eyesight problems that reduce their quality of life by making it impossible for them to read and sometimes even recognize people. Omega -3 fatty acids have also been shown to protect elderly people from a whole list of age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis.
This research which was led by Dr. Chi-Chao Chan from the National Eye Institute used lab mice to document the effect of omega-3 fatty acids in various areas. They saw that mice with high levels of omega-3 in their diet had elevated levels of important anti inflammatory molecules which are likely to protect against the degenerative aging effect.
Doctor Chan said that the clinical results provided a clear basis for the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of age-related macular degeneration. He also said that they are planning further studies to look at other treatments for this degenerative condition which could involve the analysis of pharmacochaperones and antioxidatives along with the testing of gene therapies delivered intraocularly.
The Mediterranean diet consists of substantial amounts of fresh fish like Tuna, nuts and olive oil that contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids which many scientists credit with making the Mediterranean people among the healthiest in the world.
The new research which was financed by The Intramural Research Program of the National Eye Institute, the American Health Assistance Foundation and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. was entitled “A high omega-3 fatty acid diet reduces retinal lesions in a murine model of macular degeneration," and the published in the respected American Journal of Pathology.
