It damages more than just the brain and heart. Scientists say it also affects vision.

• Scientists from The Chinese University of Hong Kong examined over a thousand children aged 6–8, analysing their eyesight and eating habits based on detailed nutritional questionnaires.
• Other factors influencing myopia were also taken into account, such as time spent outdoors, reading, in front of screens, and whether parents had this condition.
• The results showed that 27.5% of the children were nearsighted, and a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with better eye parameters, while a high intake of saturated fat was associated with the worst.
• The authors suggest that omega-3s may protect eyesight by improving blood flow to the eye, although the study was observational and does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

In the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers from The Chinese University of Hong Kong analyzed vision data from over a thousand Chinese children aged 6-8. Additionally, they assessed the participants' diets based on specially designed dietary questionnaires covering 280 foods divided into 10 groups:

• bread and other cereal products,
• vegetables and legumes,
• fruit,
• meat,
• fish,
• eggs,
• milk and dairy products,
• drinks,
• soups
• and snacks and fats.

The study also took into account other factors with a proven influence on the development of myopia: time spent outdoors, reading and writing, in front of screens, and the presence of myopia in parents.

Ultimately, the authors found that approximately 27.5% of the children had myopia. The higher the omega-3 fatty acid intake, the more favorable the visual parameters, such as shorter axial length of the eyeball and better focusing of light on the retina. However, children with the highest saturated fat intake had the worst results in these parameters . Other dietary components showed no significant associations with myopia.

According to the authors, the protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids on vision may be due to their ability to improve blood flow in the choroid—the layer of the eye responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients. This, in turn, may reduce scleral hypoxia, considered a factor in the development of myopia.

- Our study suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may be a potential protective factor in the development of myopia in children - the researchers concluded.

They also emphasized that the study was observational in nature and does not allow for the establishment of a cause-and-effect relationship. They also noted that Hong Kong has one of the highest myopia prevalence rates in the world, which may limit the generalizability of the results to other populations.

The global prevalence of myopia is increasing, particularly in East Asia, and it is predicted that by 2050, approximately half of the world's population will be affected by the condition.

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