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Ed Yeates ReportingTwo government agencies want to know if the main ingredients in fish oil might just prevent the loss of vision from diseases like macular degeneration. The large nationwide study is looking for four thousand people to test the formula.
Fish oil will now be added to a formulation which, in previous studies, already appears to reduce the progression of macular degeneration.
Why the fish oil? The omega three fatty acids, one especially identified as DHA, nourishes and strengthens the macula, that small area in our eyes responsible for central vision. In Macular Degeneration that central vision blurs and fogs, leaving only peripheral vision.
Paul Bernstein, M.D., University of Utah Moran Eye Center: "If you don't have enough DHA, we think that the cones and rods are malfunctioning. We even have some families we've been studying here in Utah who have a deficiency of an enzyme that produces DHA in the eye. And they have an early onset of macular degeneration. And we found the people who consumed the most fish were the ones who had the best vision in the family."
This fish oil phase of the study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Eye Institute, will most likely reinforce earlier studies that already show that high does of certain antioxidant vitamins and minerals, taken by mouth, can produce some dramatic changes in the eyes of those at high risk for age-related eye disease.
To take part in the Fish Oil Study call: (801) 581-5142
