More and more children around the world are becoming nearsighted, especially in places like East Asia.
A new study by researchers in Hong Kong has found that eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids—commonly found in fish oils—may help protect children from developing nearsightedness, also known as myopia.
On the other hand, eating a lot of foods with saturated fats, like butter, red meat, and palm oil, may increase the risk.
This new research was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. It focused on 1005 Chinese children aged 6 to 8, all part of the large Hong Kong Children Eye Study, which looks at how kids’ eyes develop and what factors might cause problems like myopia.
Myopia means that a person can see nearby things clearly but struggles to see things far away. It often happens when the eyeball becomes too long from front to back. This stretching makes it hard for the eyes to focus properly.
Experts already know that spending too much time indoors, looking at screens, or reading closely can increase the risk of myopia. Family history can also play a role.
In this study, researchers carefully recorded the children’s usual diets through a food questionnaire that their parents helped complete. The questionnaire included 280 different types of foods, grouped into common food categories like vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, dairy, snacks, and drinks.
The researchers also measured how much time the kids spent outside, how much screen time they had, and how much time they spent reading and writing.
Each child’s eyesight was tested, and doctors took measurements of the eyes to assess how nearsighted they were. About 27.5% of the children had myopia. The researchers then compared the diet and lifestyle data to these eye measurements.
They found that children who ate the most omega-3 fatty acids had shorter eye length and better vision. This is important because a longer eye length is a sign that myopia is progressing.
Children who ate the least omega-3s had longer eyes and worse vision. In contrast, children who ate the most saturated fats had worse eye measurements, suggesting a higher risk of myopia.
No other nutrients seemed to have a strong link to nearsightedness, and the study could not prove cause and effect. It was based on observations and self-reported food habits, which can sometimes be inaccurate. Also, the study only looked at children in Hong Kong, where myopia rates are very high. So, the results might not apply to other groups of people.
Even so, the findings give researchers a good reason to keep studying the possible connection between diet and eye health. Omega-3 fatty acids may improve blood flow to parts of the eye, which could prevent the kind of damage that leads to nearsightedness.
In conclusion, the researchers said their study gives strong support to the idea that omega-3s might help prevent myopia in children. Eating more fish and other omega-3-rich foods could be a simple and healthy way to protect young eyes.
The study is published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
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