Essential Fatty Acids for Eye Health

By Gina White; updates by Gary Heiting, OD;
reviewed by Charles Slonim, MD

You may find it hard to believe that fat is essential to your health, but it’s true. Without fat, our bodies can’t function properly. And without the proper kinds of fats in our diet, our eye health also may suffer.

Fatty acids are the “building blocks” of fat. These important nutrients are critical for the normal production and functioning of cells, muscles, nerves, and organs. Fatty acids are also required for the production of hormone-like compounds that help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, and blood clotting.

Some fatty acids — called essential fatty acids (EFAs) — are necessary to our diet, because our body can’t produce them. To stay healthy, we must obtain these fatty acids from our food.

The two types of EFAs are omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, may benefit eye health.

Read full article at: http://www.allaboutvision.com/nutrition/fatty_acid_1.htm