Supplement Cocktail Improves Eye Fatigue
TOKYO - A formula consisting of fish oil, bilberry extract and lutein improved mental fatigue and various symptoms of asthenopia in human subjects, according to results from a recent study. Researchers from Nippon Suisan Kaisha published their results in the December issue of Biomedical Research (2011;32(6):387-393).
In the double- blind, randomized, parallel-group, and placebo-controlled trial 11 subjects took a supplement containing omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish oil (docosahexaenoic acid 783 mg/d, eicosapentaenoic acid 162 mg/d), bilberry extract (anthocyanidin 59 mg/d), and lutein (17.5 mg/day) in soft gel capsule form, every day for four weeks. Nine separate subjects took a placebo for the same period. All subjects completed a questionnaire before and after the supplementation period to determine the scope of asthenopia symptoms, including stiff shoulders, low back pain, frustration, dry eye and stuffy head; similarly, mental fatigue was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) test.
Researchers found symptoms of both asthenopia and mental fatigue were improved after four weeks of supplementation, with no side effects observed after the four-week intervention plus a two-week washout period. The researchers concluded these results suggest dietary supplementation with a combination of fish oil, bilberry extract, and lutein "may safely improve subjective symptoms of asthenopia and mental fatigue in humans."
TOKYO - A formula consisting of fish oil, bilberry extract and lutein improved mental fatigue and various symptoms of asthenopia in human subjects, according to results from a recent study. Researchers from Nippon Suisan Kaisha published their results in the December issue of Biomedical Research (2011;32(6):387-393).
In the double- blind, randomized, parallel-group, and placebo-controlled trial 11 subjects took a supplement containing omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish oil (docosahexaenoic acid 783 mg/d, eicosapentaenoic acid 162 mg/d), bilberry extract (anthocyanidin 59 mg/d), and lutein (17.5 mg/day) in soft gel capsule form, every day for four weeks. Nine separate subjects took a placebo for the same period. All subjects completed a questionnaire before and after the supplementation period to determine the scope of asthenopia symptoms, including stiff shoulders, low back pain, frustration, dry eye and stuffy head; similarly, mental fatigue was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) test.
Researchers found symptoms of both asthenopia and mental fatigue were improved after four weeks of supplementation, with no side effects observed after the four-week intervention plus a two-week washout period. The researchers concluded these results suggest dietary supplementation with a combination of fish oil, bilberry extract, and lutein "may safely improve subjective symptoms of asthenopia and mental fatigue in humans."
