Twice-weekly diet of fish helps prevent eye disease

Published on Monday 8 June 2009 22:02

EATING fish twice a week helps prevent eye disease, according to scientists.

The omega 3 in fatty fish staves off the progression of age- related eye disease, macular degeneration, and can hold off blindness.

Research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology involved a study of almost 3,000 people. They were monitored for the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) over eight years.

AMD is a progressive degenerative condition, which affects the back of the eye. It robs people of the capacity to see fine detail, and can eventually blind them.

As the world's population has increased and there are more elderly people, AMD has become much more common.

Study participants were randomly allocated to receive either a placebo or antioxidants of vitamins C, E and beta-carotene or the minerals zinc and copper or the antioxidants plus zinc.

The trial results suggested that taking antioxidants plus minerals curbed progression of late-stage, but not early-stage disease.