Adults eating fish at least once a week will have a lower risk of vision impairment due to age related degeneration of the eyes, new research has found.

Though the study does not prove that eating fish cuts the risk of age related degeneration of the eyes, it does indicate that fish eaters in general carry a lower risk of eye trouble than their counterparts who do not add fish to their diets regularly.

The study supports the theory that omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon and mackerel, has a role to play in the development or progression of macular degeneration, says an article published in the journal Ophthalmology.

Aging impairs the eyesight due to abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina or through the breaking down of light-sensitive cells within it. The disease is incurable at present though medical science has come out with certain treatments that may delay total vision loss.

Clinical trials supported by the United States showed that a mix of antioxidants had the effect of slowing down macular degeneration and the latest study is attempting to see if adding fish oil and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin brings in better benefits.

The latest study was conducted by a team led by Bonnielin K. Swenor at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore. They checked data from 2,500 adults aged between 65 and 84 and found that 15 percent had early or intermediate-stage macular degeneration, with three percent of the samples being in the advanced stage.

Participants who ate one or more servings of oil rich fish every week were found to be 60 percent less likely to get advanced macular degeneration compared with those who averaged less than one serving a week.