Chronic inflammation induced by obesity may put at risk the health of retina in people who are suffering from diabetes type 2, the non-insulin-dependent diabetes that may occur in adulthood and is caused, among other factors, by a lack of physical activity and wrong diet habits. Scientists have already hypothesized the protective role on the retina played by fatty acids omega 3 but a new study, published a few days ago in the journal Science Reports belonging to the prestigious Nature group [1], has gone further by demonstrating that the fatty acids omega 3 of flaxseed oil are able to reduce inflammation and retinopathy.
The purpose of the study has been to observe the effects that a diet, in which flax seed oil has introduced, may have on retina in case of obesity and diabetes type 2. A change in diet that is absolutely a real possibility for being used by people and that avoid other sources of omega 3 such as fish oil, that, nowadays, could be contaminated by heavy metals. After 8 weeks of testing the researchers have observed that a high omega 3 diet from flaxseed oil has been able to reduce the inflammatory markers, and thus also inflammation, in retinal tissue and to protect the visual acuity.
Moreover, as a consequence a reduction in fasting blood glucose levels and glucose intolerance has been observed.