Omega 3 Fatty Acids - A Possible Treatment For Blindness
 Children born prematurely suffer from a series of complications and the highest risk they have is to go blind, as the eyes are the last organs which are formed. Medics suggest that a supplement of omega 3 fatty acids can save their sight. The disease is called retinopathy and it occurs if children are born before their eyes have finished growing. These children experience a loss of blood vessels in the eye, which means that the retina does not get enough oxygen. The lack of oxygen sets off alarm signals that spur new vessel growth, but these new vessels become deformed. Toward the end of the disease, the retina can come loose, and when that happens, there's very little medics can do. Scientists at Sahlgrenska Academy conducted a study on mice suffering from retinopathy which were given food enriched with either omega-3 or omega-6. Mice that ate omega-3 initially lost fewer blood vessels in their retinas than mice that ate omega-6, and they evinced only half as much abnormal vessel growth. Their retinas also showed lower inflammatory activity. Another aspect scientists conducting the study observed was that after the initial loss of vessels, our studies indicate that the vessels grew back both more rapidly and more effectively in mice that were fed omega-3. It is believed that this is caused by an enhanced oxygen supply and a dampening of the inflammation alarm that otherwise can lead to the formation of abnormal vessels. Read Full Post Labels: omega-3 , blind |
