Omega-3s May Help Protect Kids From Nearsightedness

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A new study from Hong Kong looked at the diets of more than 1,000 children ages 6 to 8 and how what they ate related to their eye health. Investigators found that children who ate more omega-3 fatty acids — healthy fats found in foods like fish (salmon, tuna, sardines), walnuts and flaxseed — had shorter eye lengths and healthier vision measurements. These eye patterns are linked to a lower risk of developing myopia (nearsightedness), a condition where distant objects look blurry.

Myopia is becoming a major global health concern, with experts predicting that by 2050, about half of the world’s population will be nearsighted, and one in 10 will have severe myopia. This condition happens when the eyeball grows too long, which not only makes distance vision blurry but also increases the risk of serious eye complications that may cause permanent vision loss or blindness.

Increased screen time and lifestyle changes during COVID-19, including more time indoors, may worsen myopia progression in children and have long-term effects on their eye health.

“The risk factors for developing myopia are multifactorial, involving both genetic and environmental factors,” wrote investigators. “Diet is an important environmental factor that has been studied in many ocular diseases because of its potentially modifiable nature. Nutritional intervention has been evoked as a critical tool for protecting the eyes and vision. However, the relationship between dietary factors and myopia development remains uncertain.”

The team evaluated the children’s eyesight and diet, as determined by a food frequency questionnaire comprised of 280 food items categorized into 10 groups: vegetables and legumes; fruit; meat; fish; bread/cereals/pasta/rice/noodles; milk and dairy products; fats/oils/dim sum/snacks; and soups. They then calculated the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, sugar, fiber, iron and calcium the children were consuming, along with total fat, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and cholesterol.

Other factors assessed included the time children spent on screens, reading and writing, and playing outdoors.

The average age of the kids was 7.64 years, and approximately one in four (27.5%) were diagnosed with myopia.

While omega-3s can lower the risk of nearsightedness, children who ate more saturated fats — commonly found in fried foods, fatty meats, butter and processed snacks — were more likely to have longer axial eye lengths and vision measurements associated with a higher risk of myopia.

Additionally, the total daily intakes of other nutrients assessed, including vitamin D, were not related to the presence of myopia.

Investigators noted some important limitations, including that the food survey used may not fully reflect children’s usual diets, and it relied on memory, which can be inaccurate. They also did not measure nutrient levels in the blood, account for all genetic or environmental factors, or look at the effects of omega-3 supplements. Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot prove cause and effect, only show an association.

The findings suggest that diet may play an important role in eye development during childhood, with omega-3 fatty acids offering some protective benefits against myopia and high intake of saturated fats potentially increasing risk. While more research is needed to confirm these findings, adding omega-3–rich foods and reducing saturated fats could be a simple step to support children’s eye health.

“Lower omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) intake in diet was significantly associated with myopia and axial length elongation, indicating that ω-3 PUFA intake may play a protective role in myopia development in children,” investigators concluded.