As shown, the fish may be reduce almost by half the risk of manifestation of diabetic retinopathy, which is the main cause of blindness in ages 20-64 years.
This condition is due to lesions that cause elevated levels of sugar in the blood vessels of the retina, which is located in the back part of it and bring the light-sensitive cells (rods, cones) which we see.
It is estimated that 80% of people who suffer from diabetes for more than 20 years have lesions in the blood vessels of the eye.
Scientists from Spain wanted to investigate whether the regular consumption of fish can act as a safeguard against them.
So, looked at data from 3.482 men and women, over the age of 55 years, suffering from type 2 diabetes.
75% of them were following faithfully the dictates of the mediterranean διατÏοφήςκαι consumed, inter alia, a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids – a type of lipid that mostly comes from the fish, and provides many health benefits.
As the researchers write in the journal “JAMA Ophthalmology”, during six years of monitoring 69 from their volunteers have demonstrated diabetic retinopathy.
The researchers found that those volunteers consumed at least 500 mg of omega-3 fatty acids a day, by 48% less likely to develop diabetic retinopathy.
This quantity corresponds to two servings of fatty fish (such as sardines, salmon, tuna, trout, herring and mackerel) per week.
This finding did not change when the researchers took into account other factors that could be involved in the appearance of the disease, such as sex, age, way of life and various clinical parameters.
How can the fish to reduce the risk of retinopathy? One possible explanation is that, as increasing levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood, decreases inflammation in the body which is a chargeable event, and retinopathy, said the head researcher dr. Gives a Sala-Vila, a researcher at the Centre for Biomedical Research enRed of Barcelona.
The fish protect the vision of diabetics
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