Did you know that you can improve dry eye through your diet?
Although many people are unaware of this fact, certain foods have particular properties that can limit the effects of dry eye.
Let’s talk about a fish that is overlooked despite its many nutritional qualities: mackerel. It is one of the fish richest in omega-3.
That’s why we’ve come up with this perfect recipe for your eyes: grilled mackerel with chargrilled tomato water and anchovies. The recipe was created by Michelin-starred chef Antoine Gras with the help of Dr Doan, an ophthalmologist specialising in dry eye at the Rothschild Foundation and Bichat Hospital in Paris.
So how do the ingredients in this recipe benefit your eyes?
Mackerel is the fish that contains the most omega-3. Omega-3s are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids that cannot be synthesised by the body, meaning we need to ingest them via our diet. You may have already tried omega-3 dietary supplements, so why not try our recipes? They are natural and equally beneficial!
Tomatoes are a fruit made up of 94% water and are very rich in vitamin C, which helps combat cell ageing.
Anchovies contain high levels of vitamins, including vitamins A, B and D, as well as a substance called selenium that is also an antioxidant.
Dr Serge Doan explains that some patients with dry eye often don’t have enough tears and, what’s more, their tears are of poor quality. It is important to know that tears are composed of water and oil. In many cases, people do not have enough oil in their tears, which explains why their tears evaporate too quickly.
This is particularly the case for people who work at a computer: when we’re in front of a screen we tend blink less, so our tears do not spread correctly over the eyes and the eyes tend to dry up faster.
This is why blinking is so important: it spreads tears over the eyes, which hydrates them and prevents them from drying out. You can retrain your eyes by doing regular blinking exercises!
Focus: mackerel and omega-3
- Omega-3s are fatty acids that keep the tears supplied with lipids (ALA, DHA, EPA)
- Daily DHA intake (adult): 250 mg (0.25 g)
- 5 g DHA per 100 g of mackerel
Ingredients
- 4 mackerel
- 4 oxheart tomatoes
- Smoked anchovies in oil
- 1 lemon
- Basil
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Soy sauce
Recipe
Step 1:
Wrap half of the oxheart tomatoes in aluminium foil with salt, basil leaves and olive oil and place them in a very hot barbecue.
After 20 minutes, press them through a strainer to extract the juice. In a saucepan, heat the juice from the tomatoes with a little butter, pepper, salt, lemon juice and soy sauce.
Step 2:
Cut the rest of the tomatoes into thick slices, place them on aluminium foil and sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Place on the barbecue and leave to grill for 10 minutes.
Step 3:
Fillet and bone the mackerel. Place the mackerel on oiled aluminium foil, then sprinkle with salt. Place on the barbecue. Chop the smoked anchovies.
Step 4:
Plate up: add a slice of grilled tomato to the plate and place the mackerel next to it. Add a few pieces of anchovy on top and pour the sauce over everything. Finish with a few basil leaves for a little freshness.
