Vette
vis tegen macula degeneratie bij het ouder worden*
Uit een grote studie in zeven Europese landen blijkt dat het eten van regelmatig vette
vis de kans op macula degeneratie flink kan verminderen.
Gekeken werd naar de natte vorm van macula degeneratie, de vorm die de belangrijkste oorzaak van gezichtsverlies geeft. Zij die minstens 1x keer per week vette vis aten hadden 50% minder kans op het krijgen van de ziekte in vergelijking met zij die minder dan 1x per week vette vis aten. Geen voordelen werden gezien bij het eten van niet vette, witte vis. Een sterke relatie werd gevonden tussen de hoeveelheden omega-3 vetzuren
DHA en EPA met de kans op macula degeneratie. Zij met minimaal 300 mg DHA en EPA per dag hadden 70% minderkans op het krijgen van de ziekte. Twee porties van 100 gram vette vis, zoals zalm, tonijn, haring, makreel per week betekenen een dagelijkse hoeveelheid van 500 mg DHA en EPA. De is de eerste Europese studie
en een bevestiging van de resultaten van eerdere studies in Amerika en
Australië.
Oily Fish Consumption At Least Once A Week Will Protect Your Eyesight In Old Age
Eating oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is the major cause of blindness and poor vision in adults in western countries and the third cause of global blindness, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
There are two types of AMD, wet and dry. Of the two, wet AMD is the main cause of vision loss. A team of researchers across seven European countries and co-ordinated by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine sought to investigate the association between fish intake and omega 3 fatty acids with wet AMD, comparing people with wet AMD with controls. Participants were interviewed about their dietary habits including how much fish they ate and what type. Information on the main omega 3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoicacid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was obtained by linking dietary data with food composition tables.
The findings show that people who habitually consume oily fish at least once a week compared with less than once a week are 50% less likely to have wet AMD. There was no benefit from consumption of non oily white fish. There was a strong inverse association between levels of DHA and EPA and wet AMD. People in the top 25% of DHA and EPA levels (300 mg per day and above) were 70% less likely to have wet AMD.
Astrid Fletcher, Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who led the study, commented: "This is the first study in Europeans to show a beneficial association on wet AMD from the consumption of oily fish and is consistent with results from studies in the USA and Australia. Two 3oz servings a week of oily fish, such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, provides about 500 mg of DHA and EPA per
day".
The research team is not, however, recommending omega 3 supplements as the study did not investigate whether supplements would have the same benefit as dietary
sources.
The EUREYE study was funded by the European Commission with additional support from the Macular Disease Society UK and the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (Oktober
2008)
