A new study says no.
A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Ophthalmology showed that supplementation of marine ω-3 fatty acid did not prevent the development of dry eye disease.
Let's dissect this.
This is an ancillary study of the vitamin D and omega-3 trial (VITAL), which was a randomized trial designed to test vitamin D and marine ω-3 fatty acid supplements in the primary prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
What did this study find?
The trial included 23,523 healthy US adults without a reported diagnosis of dry eye disease or severe dry eye symptoms at study entry.
They received supplementation with ethyl ester ω-3 fatty acids at a dose of 1 g per day for a median range of 5.3 years. This supplementation regimen was found to have no effect on the incidence of dry eye disease.
Interesting ... what are critics of this study saying?
The conclusions drawn are misleading. One gram of ω-3 fatty acids in an ethyl ester form and at a ratio of 3:2 isn't enough to reach a therapeutic level. Even after this supplementation for 5 years, the participants only reached an omega-3 index level of approximately 4%. More critiques here.
See you next week!