The Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids For Dry Eyes

The Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA provide the most significant health advantages and are crucial in decreasing the inflammation associated with dry eyes. In particular, a high EPA to DHA ratio may be useful for dry eyes.

Food vs. Supplements - How Do You Consume Omega-3?
In North America, children and adolescents ingest an average of 40mg of EPA and DHA per day. On average, adults consume only 90mg of EPA and DHA per day.

Although obtaining enough Omega-3 from our diet is theoretically possible to benefit dry eyes, doing so is quite challenging. To acquire a daily intake of 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA combined, for example, you would need to eat the equivalent of 5 servings of salmon, 27 servings of tuna, or 35 servings of haddock every week!

It's also worth noting that ingesting this much fish would result in a high level of mercury and other poisons accumulating in the body, making it a poor choice. Green vegetables, seaweed, and several nuts and seeds, including flaxseed, are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids; however they are mostly ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Because ALA converts to EPA and DHA at a low rate (less than 5%), it provides little assistance for dry eye syndrome.

How to Choose a Proper Supplement
There are a few factors to consider while looking for a supplement to increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. Some fatty acids are more easily absorbed than others, so recognizing the difference might help your overall health and your dry eye disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in entire fish as free fatty acids, phospholipids, and triglycerides. Omega-3 fatty acids are typically found as triglycerides in fish oils, which are available as supplements. The refining process in processed fish oils converts triglycerides to ethyl esters, allowing food chemists to modify the quantities of DHA and EPA.

Which Supplements Are the Best?
Although numerous fish oil supplements are available, some are significantly more efficiently absorbed by your body and have a greater favorable effect. Eye doctors say that omega-3 triglycerides are the best option.

Omega-3 fish oil supplements are not all made equal. The process of producing high-quality omega-3 begins with the capture of fish from the sea (the fish oil starts in the triglyceride state). The oil is then removed from the fish, resulting in unpurified native oil that still contains contaminants. The poisons are then removed using heat and alcohol. This produces an alcohol (ethyl ester)–based synthetic version that is poorly absorbed in the body.

Most omega-3 products are sold in this unpurified, ethyl ester form. The final step that distinguishes high-quality omega-3 supplements is removing the alcohol (a process known as re-esterification), which returns it to the triglyceride or natural form of the omega-3 but with a higher concentration of EPA and DHA.

The procedure is time-consuming and expensive, but the result is the cleanest, most effective form of omega-3 that is easily absorbed by the body while remaining safe and toxin-free. This is the fundamental cause for the price disparities between the various omega-3 supplements on the market.

When shopping for supplements, always read the label carefully and look for the following:

• Omega-3 fatty acid. Look for a supplement with EPA and DHA, preferably one with a high EPA-to-DHA ratio of 4:1, which is ideal for dry eyes;
• The amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Check the label to see how much EPA and DHA are in each capsule.
• A liquid form is an alternative to consider. The majority of liquid omega-3 supplements are triglyceride-based. A teaspoon of high-quality liquid omega-3 contains approximately 1200 mg of EPA and 300 mg of DHA. This is the equivalent of four gel capsules. This is a decent starting point for most people's daily dose of dry eye syndrome;
• Omega-3 fatty acid. TG (triglycerides) omega-3 is preferable to ethyl esters;
• When you've found a supplement you like, check the expiry date and smell the capsules or liquid to be sure it hasn't gone bad. Fish oil that has expired or has gone rancid is less effective and may even be hazardous.

If you have any questions concerning omega-3s and your eye health, please seek expert advice from your optometrist. In addition, plan frequent eye exams to detect early signs of disease before they advance.