Omega-3 fatty acids are touted for a myriad of health advantages, certainly one of which is vision protection. Now, a newly developed version of an Omega-3 fatty acid can prevent vision loss stemming from Alzheimer’s disease, researchers said.
Researchers on the University of Illinois, Chicago, developed a recent type of omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that may seep into the attention’s retina to mitigate the probabilities of visual difficulties related to Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders similar to Macular Degeneration, which is a marker of nearsightedness.
The newfound DHA complement trumps its earlier version commonly present in fish oils (triacylglycerol or TAG-DHA) when it comes to eye health advantages. In response to a study presented at Discover BMB, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is crucial for retinal function. But dietary supplements or ingesting DHA capsules are insufficient when it comes to boosting the retinal health, as they can not directly travel to the eyes from the bloodstream.
Scientists, subsequently, developed a recent lysophospholipid type of DHA to be utilized in a mice study. LPC-DHA was found to be effective in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The dosage of the complement is similar to about 250 to 500 mg in humans per day.
The study, which lasted for six months, found the mice given the supplements showed a 96% improvement in retinal DHA content. Nevertheless, further studies will likely be required to evaluate its range of advantages for humans.
“Dietary LPC-DHA is enormously superior to TAG-DHA in enriching retinal DHA and might be potentially useful for various retinopathies in patients,” said Sugasini Dhavamani, a research assistant professor within the Department of Medicine on the University of Illinois at Chicago, in keeping with Neurosciences News. “This approach provides a novel therapeutic approach for the prevention or mitigation of retinal dysfunction related to Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.”
The study is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Discover BMB is the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which was held from March 25-28.
In healthy eyes, a high concentration of DHA is present in the retina. The DHA content helps maintain photoreceptors, cells that convert light into signals sent to the brain. With the brand new complement, many visual difficulties may be prevented in an Alzheimer’s-stricken person. Nevertheless, one problem with the present complement was that it was first required to be absorbed by the intestine before it could reach the retina.
Vision problems in individuals with Alzheimer’s occur because their brains fail to process the data sent to them by the eyes, in keeping with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. Some indicators of the issue are:
- Peripheral field loss
- Loss of contrast sensitivity
- Difficulty with depth perception
- Problems with glare
“Visual impairment is a major factor of Alzheimer’s disease, but while there are indeed degenerative retinal changes in association with Alzheimer’s disease, many of the visual impairment is secondary to brain dysfunction quite than retinal dysfunction,” Dr. Howard R. Krauss, MD, surgical neuro-ophthalmologist and director of Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center, at Windfall Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told Healthline.
Krauss said Omega-3 supplements are useful, but over-the-counter supplements vary in purity and concentration. Some supplements, especially in excess, could carry a risk for some people. He, subsequently, insisted everyone should seek the advice of their primary healthcare provider before taking supplements.
For youngsters, omega-3 fatty acids may have the option to curb their aggressive behavior problems.
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