Eating more fish may help prevent macular degeneration
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- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
People who eat more fish tend to have lower rates of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of vision loss in older adults. A report in the February 2026 issue of The Journal of Nutrition sheds light on how dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, especially from fish, might be protective.
Researchers pooled data from 18 studies involving over 180,000 adults (ages 56 to 79) with AMD or at high risk for it. Study lengths varied, but most (61%) followed participants for at least 10 years.
The researchers found that people with the highest omega-3 intake were 18% less likely to have or develop AMD compared to those with the lowest intake. When the researchers looked at specific omega-3 types, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) - found in fatty fish - showed the clearest protective association, while alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 found in flaxseed and walnuts, showed no significant benefit.
Since the study was observational, it can't prove that omega-3s prevented AMD - and the data didn't clearly show whether the risk was reduced over time. But boosting omega-3s by regularly eating fatty fish is a "reasonable" AMD prevention strategy, the authors said.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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