As you walk down the street, you can easily see children wearing glasses. In fact, according to the 2008~2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of myopia in Korea is 57% under the age of 13 and 80% at the age of 12 to 18, which is very high in the world.
It is difficult to come back once the vision is lost, so it is necessary to actively manage it from an early age. The best way is to reduce the time spent watching electronic devices or media such as smartphones and computers, but it is difficult in reality. An alternative is to provide nutrients that are good for eye health while avoiding being in front of the screen for too long through regular outside activities and study time management. An example of a nutritional supplement is omega-3.
Omega 3 for eye health
Omega 3, which is known to be good for brain development, is actually beneficial for eye health. This is because DHA, the main component of omega 3, is the main component of the retina. DHA strengthens the tear film and prevents the symptoms of decreased tear secretion, thereby helping to prevent dry eye syndrome.
The key is consistent intake. Even if it is good for the eyes, it is of no use if you do not eat it. The problem is that omega-3’s unique fishy smell, capsule size, and drug-like appearance are not well-received by children. With this in mind, recently, omega 3 in the form of jelly (gummies) has been released. Its characteristic is that it helps to take it with a friendly appearance while reducing the fishy smell. Since it can be consumed without water, it seems possible to keep it on the desk and eat it as a snack. However, jelly-type nutritional supplements have a rather high sugar content for flavor, which may cause tooth decay. Therefore, you should be careful not to consume too much, and you must brush your teeth following taking it.
If you choose omega 3 for your child, it is recommended to check the content of omega 3 main components (EPA · DHA) and check whether it contains beta-carotene, which is good for eye health, vitamin D, which helps bone health, and other vitamin E. It would be better if it was a product that can be taken ‘deliciously’ while taking multiple nutrients with one tablet.