Omega 3 oils could help cut age-related macular degeneration risk

Washington, July 23 (ANI): A diet high in omega 3 oils can lower the risk of developing age related macular degeneration, says a new study.

The study has been published in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), loss of vision in the center of the visual field (macula) due to retinal damage, is one of the leading causes of legal blindness among the elderly.

Now, a group led by Dr. Chi-Chao Chan at the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, in America, has found that mice fed a diet high in omega three oils had slower progression of the leisons in the eye and some improvement.

These mice had lower levels of inflammatory molecules and higher levels of anti-inflammatory molecules, which may explain this protective effect.

The results "further provide the scientific basis for the application of omega-3 fatty acids and their biologically active derivatives in the prevention and treatment of AMD." (ANI)