What are fish oils? Why do your eyes need them? How does it help dryness? What is the optimal dosage?
I’ll cover these topics and more in the following article
What are fish oils?
Fish oils are a source of healthy fat that your body cannot produce on its own (meaning you need it in either supplementation form or dietary methods).
The reason fish oils are so important is because it contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) + DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid).
Why do your eyes need them?
Both fatty acids EPA + DHA help to reduce inflammation on the ocular surface and promote their down regulation of inflammatory cytokines (R).
There have also been numerous studies that display the efficacy of omega 3 supplementation and the added benefit of reducing cardiovascular events, and oxidative stress on the body (R).
What is the optimal dosage for dry eye?
This is where things can get a little tricky as the therapeutic range can really vary from patient to patient. It can honestly depend on each individual’s overall diet and how frequently they might be consuming some form of omega 3s
Studies do show that a higher dose of EPA has been proven to reduce the inflammation of dry eye (R).
More specifically a range between 1000mg – 3000mg with EPA making up 80% of that (R).
Why don’t we go above 3000mg?
The FDA approved upper tolerable limit is 3000mg daily.
This is because higher (in excess of 3000mg) doses may reduce immune function because of inflammatory response changes and cause bleeding problems (R).
However, there to date there have been no formal studies that have investigated the correlation between high omega 3 supplementation and excessive bleeding.
Conclusion:
Omega 3’s are a fantastic supplement that I think all dry eye patients (and most people in general) should be taking.
The ideal dosage for dry eye efficacy is a range between 1000mg – 3000mg EPA + DHA, with EPA being in a 3:1 ratio to DHA (or 80% maximum of your daily dose).