Fish oil/EPA-how much to take

[Rebecca Petris]

NYer, (gentle rap on knuckles) I love you but please don't be rude

Rhad, I'm... um... tempted to agree with NYer. It's not just a matter of difference of opinion: You just can't know based on your personal observation whether all these people you're seeing on either continent have eye problems or not. For example if someone isn't wearing glasses, is it because they're 20/20 or they can't afford glasses and they didn't grow up expecting/needing to see perfectly?

I've supplied drops to doctors on a lot of missions in latin american countries and they always tell me practically everyone has dry eye (in the mountainous regions especially).

[rhad]

yeah, I guess i am clueless, sorry I even said anything.....

rhad

[Rebecca Petris]

rhad, I apologize. I was reacting to some generalizations but at the same time I do appreciate what I think your point is (if I understood correctly): that all the nutrition and supplements in the world probably aren't going to fix our eyes. I agree with that. I take my flaxseed oil faithfully but my main motivation is overall health benefits.

[Plat]

All I know is I am 36 and had a bad diet since 20, no vegs, no fruit no fish, just all the bad things like pizza, burgers, junk food. I am thin and eat a lot but seems to have affected my eyes(or could have affected somthing within the body to affect the eyes). Eating bad does not just cause you to be obese, just my guess. I know many people who eat bad and have a pretty normal figure.

[rubyslippers]

I know it helps me and here is why. I ran out of Barlean's cold pressed flaxseed oil. I had been taking 3-6 capsules per day for months. By the fourth day without it, my very dry skin returned. It had been gone for several months. Not coincidentally, I had some very bad eye days at the very same time. I got my hands on the flaxseed oil and by the third day taking it again, my face was once again oily and I no longer needed to use after shower body moisturizer. The days I did not take the flaxseed I was itchy all over which is how I had been before taking it. I do not produce moisture/oil anywhere in my body very well at all. I am completely convinced, as is my eye doctor, that while the flaxseed alone won't "cure" my dry eye, it is certainly helping me.

[Plat]

Hi Rhad, what did you mean by

"obviously something is wrong inside the body that is not allowing proper oil/tear production. You do not have to agree with what I have said, but this is what I have personally observed"

Have you narrowed your dry eye problem to a specific part of the body?

Thanks

[Plat]

Rhad,

As you have stated,

"something is wrong in your body that stops this process of oil production from taking place"

I believe it is bad diet(processed foods, red meats etc) that affects hormones that affects the balance of your body. So hopefuly Flax or other oils can balance the hormones(but you can not continue bad eating habits). Hormones in turn affect the way your brain sends signals.

Anyone that would like to answer - what is or was your diet like? Most people I ask they say typical diet. Well what does this mean?

Thanks

[brd888]

A lot of Rhad's comments make sense to me. Most people don't have dry eye. A lot of people (esp in Scotland) have a bad diet. My sister for instance eats a load of junk and takes no major exercise. She doesn't have dry eye.

I think a poor diet will not cause dry eye. But a good diet will contribute to healthy eyes. For me, the point of taking Oil supplements etc is to try and beef up my ability to create a healthy tear film.

[Arcaeon]

I think that people in these areas you are talking about - Africa, South America, etc - may not feel the effects of their dry eye as much because they lead simpler lives.

Quite honestly, I don't think my dry eye would even really be a problem if modern Western life didn't require you to -

a ) spend ungodly hours of time in front of screens, whether it be computers or tv, or reading

b) be stressed out all the time from work and financial pressures

I think a simple farmer living in the Andes mountains or something wouldn't even notice dry eye. The condition is exacerbated so much by modern life.


In saying that, the obese/unhealthy people statement is definitely true. I know people who eat MacDonalds literally every day and not much else and have healthier eyes than me.

[rhad]

Arcaeon, I agree with you their, all the stress that people in industrialized nations have could be a factor that leads to health problems. stress has a lot of negative effects on the body.

Plat, yes, I have narrowed it down to specific parts of the body that cause MGD/Blepharitis and lack of tear production. I have it all written down on my computer, in a document I am putting together. It all fits together like a puzzle in theory. If what I am doing to cure my MGD/blepharitis really is true and cures this condition, then I will release this information or share it with all those that suffer with this condition. as of yet it hasn't completely cured my conditions, so i can't really say it is a cure.

What I believe is that your body is pretty strong, it can put up with quite a bit of abuse, whether it be lifestyle, diet, etc. but when something stops functioning like it is supposed to, then we feel the effects of it.

rhad

[rubyslippers]

My diet is vegetarian about 95% of the time with it bordering on vegan about 60% of the time. I do not drink at all, I eat very low sugar. No caffeine for me. I have never smoked. I eat lots of fruit, veggies, grains, and nuts. I eat complex carbs instead of simple carbs. For the last 15 years I have run a couple of miles every other morning. I live in the country and get lots of fresh air---virtually no pollution here. People in my family mostly live to be over 95 with several over 100 and one lived to be 108.

[Lucy]

My diet is vegetarian about 95% of the time with it bordering on vegan about 60% of the time.

This is me too, Rubyslippers. Although I cannot claim any more of your post to be similar to me or my lifestyle--perhaps no drinking. After that, nope.
I just wanted to make your post even look more Monk-like Lucy

[NYer]

It's not exactly a great mystery that numerous functions of your body are controlled by your autonomic nervous system. Therefore, if there is a glitch in the autonomic nervous system, it can and does affect not only your dry eyes but other issues throughout your system - especially other mucous-based things like your gastric tract. There is the link between your gastric system and your eyes...but having a problem with your gastric system isn't causing the dry eyes.

Other than that, I can't imagine what great non-scientific "studies" are being performed here to figure out what "specific parts of the body" cause MGD/Blepharitis and lack of tear production. The "part of the body" that controls it is your autonomic nervous system.

[rhad]

It's not exactly a great mystery that numerous functions of your body are controlled by your autonomic nervous system. Therefore, if there is a glitch in the autonomic nervous system, it can and does affect not only your dry eyes but other issues throughout your system - especially other mucous-based things like your gastric tract. There is the link between your gastric system and your eyes...but having a problem with your gastric system isn't causing the dry eyes.

Other than that, I can't imagine what great non-scientific "studies" are being performed here to figure out what "specific parts of the body" cause MGD/Blepharitis and lack of tear production. The "part of the body" that controls it is your autonomic nervous system.

yeah, I agree that nerves are extremely important, but what is it that causes these glitches in your autonomic nervouse system? yeah I know I am not a scientist, or even a doctor, but does that mean I can't have an opinion, or share what i have found?

rhad

[rubyslippers]

This is me too, Rubyslippers. Although I cannot claim any more of your post to be similar to me or my lifestyle--perhaps no drinking. After that, nope.
I just wanted to make your post even look more Monk-like Lucy

LOL, I read that the first time to be "Monkee-like! I don't see how anything in my lifestyle caused this. Menopause is probably a great part of it though. When my other meno-symptoms act up, so do my eyes.