Fish oil, (2023) bilberry, and dry eyes

2023

A 2023 study explored the effect of the combination of bilberry and fish oil on 12 of 24 subjects with symptoms of severe dry eye disease (DED). Twelve received the supplement which was a combination of 600 mg bilberry extract and 240 mg fish oil per day for 3 months. The other twelve were the control group with the same baseline testing values as the experimental group.

Previous reports on bilberry's short-term effects (i.e. 1-2 months) on dry eye have been encouraging. Bilberry is an anthocyanin (water-soluble pigments in plants giving the fruit a violet-blue color with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties), and fish oil is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to be useful in ameliorating subjective symptoms of dry eye due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

This study aimed to evaluate whether long-term treatment (3 months) with a combined bilberry extract and fish oil supplement, would relieve DED signs and symptoms. A variety of tests were administered at baseline, one month, and three months. The study results showed noted improvements in signs and symptoms on all variables and independent of the two age groups (young adults and middle-aged).

Yu WY, Chan LYL, Chung A, Lee PH, Woo GC. (2023). Bilberry-containing supplements on severe dry eye disease in young and middle-aged adults: A 3-month pilot analysis. Front Nutr. Jan 19;10:1061818.