ASN Clinical Nutrition Meeting
J. Nutr. (June 16, 2010). doi:10.3945/jn.109.118901
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© 2010 American Society for Nutrition

Nutrition and Disease

Oral Sea Buckthorn Oil Attenuates Tear Film Osmolarity and Symptoms in Individuals with Dry Eye1,2,3,4

Petra S. Larmo5, Riikka L. Järvinen5,*, Niko L. Setälä6, Baoru Yang5, Matti H. Viitanen7, Janne R. K. Engblom8, Raija L. Tahvonen9 and Heikki P. Kallio5

5 Department of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland; 6 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland; 7 Turku City Hospital, Turku 20700, Finland; 8 Turku School of Economics, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland; 9 MTT Agrifood Research Finland/BEL, Jokioinen 31600, Finland

Dry eye is a common condition that can severely impair the quality of life. We aimed to find out whether oral sea buckthorn (SB) oil, containing (n-3) and (n-6) fatty acids and antioxidants, affects dry eye. In this double-blind, randomized, parallel trial, 20- to 75-y-old women and men experiencing dry eye symptoms consumed 2 g of SB or placebo oil daily for 3 mo from fall to winter. One hundred participants were recruited and 86 completed the study. Clinical dry eye tests and symptom follow-ups were performed. Tear film hyperosmolarity is a focal factor in dry eye. There was a general increase in the osmolarity from baseline to the end of the intervention. Compared with the placebo group, the increase was significantly less in the SB group when all participants were included [intention to treat (ITT), P = 0.04] and when only participants consuming the study products for at least 80% of the intervention days were included [per protocol (PP), P = 0.02]. The maximum intensities of redness and burning tended to be lower in the SB group. In the ITT participants, the group difference was significant for redness (P = 0.04) but not for burning (P = 0.05). In the PP participants, the group difference was significant for burning (P = 0.04) but not for redness (P = 0.11). In conclusion, SB oil attenuated the increase in tear film osmolarity during the cold season and positively affected the dry eye symptoms.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rileni{at}utu.fi.

Manuscript received 19 November 2009. Initial review completed 28 December 2009. Revision accepted 26 May 2010.