Do you find yourself squinting, having trouble seeing at night or in dimly lit rooms, or feeling dry or gritty eyes? Or perhaps you spend time on screens or have a family history of vision concerns. The ability to see objects clearly near and far away with various lighting in their entirety depends on the health of your eyes. From conception and neurodevelopment to your elderly years, your eyes and vision center of your brain require numerous nutrients. Are you keeping up with your needs?
1. Nutrients for Eye Lubrication
Eye lubrication is essential for the health and comfort of your eyes. Dry eyes commonly occur from eye strain from extended focus, various medications, and other factors.
When you have dry eyes, it reflects high amounts of oxidative and inflammatory stress to the epithelial layers and glands in your eyes. Diminished tear production and increased evaporation of the natural fluids occurs leaving your eyes feeling dry and gritty.
Tear production and eye lubrication require several key nutrients. The most important are omega-3 fish oils DHA and EPA, vitamin A, and hyaluronic acid.
Additional nutrients for eye lubrication include astaxanthin, glutamine, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, r-alpha lipoic acid, glutathione, selenium, and black currant seed oil/omega-6 GLA. These nutrients are essential to produce tears and protect tissues from oxidative stress.
Other plant-based antioxidants are helpful for protecting against oxidative stress that causes breakdown of eye lubrication. These include turmeric, green tea extract (EGCG), and grape seed extract (OPCs).
Omega-3 DHA is the best for your eyes. Omega-3 oil plant-based oils (flax, walnut, and chia seeds, etc) have a poor conversion rate to change into polyunsaturated DHA and EPA. Studies showed that it takes 6-12 weeks of EPA and DHA at 3.3 grams/day to restore these oils for eye lubrication and resolve dryness.
Coconut oil and vegetables oils do not contain EPA and DHA. High quality organic olive oil with high amounts of polyphenols may provide some benefits for eye lubrication. Omega-6 vegetable oils can make inflammatory levels worse in your eyes and throughout your body especially when omega-3 oils are lacking in the diet. If you don’t eat cold water fatty fish, you must supplement your diet with EPA/DHA.
2. Protecting the Lens
The lens of your eyes is highly sensitive to oxidative stress, blue light and UV radiation from the sun, and increased blood sugar levels. A healthy diet rich in whole fruits and vegetables is fundamental to protection of the lens.
Research also finds that a multiple vitamin and mineral complex support lens health for the general population. Nutrients such as omega-3 EPA, DHA, omega-6 GLA, vitamin C, vitamin A, taurine, and quercetin, vitamins K1 and K2, lutein, and zeaxanthin are critical for protection of the lens.
Lens stress and deterioration also occurs with diets high in sodium, processed vegetable oils, and trans-fats. Lens breakdown and clouding occurs commonly with smoking, alcohol use, age, blood sugar dysregulation, high blood pressure, obesity, chronic kidney problems, severe near sightedness, autoimmune disorders, and compromised nutritional health.
3. Retina and Macula Requirements
The retina and macula are energy intensive, mitochondrial rich tissues at the back of each eyeball. They are key to your vision but are highly sensitive to oxidative stress. These delicate tissues require optimal intake of zinc, taurine, vitamin A, carotenes, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, omega-3 DHA, and other plant-based antioxidants.
Studies show that optimal intake of dietary antioxidants aid in protecting the retina and macula from UV radiation and mitochondrial stress. Physical exercise also helps retinal development and health throughout life.
High fat diets and smoking are associated with retinal disease. Blue light from tech devices provokes significant stress to the macula.
4. Eyesight: Neurodevelopment and Childhood
Your child’s eyes need nutrients just as much as you do. Increased screen time, Western diet, picky eaters or restricted diets, as well as lack of time outdoors affect their vision development and health. High demand nutrients for ocular health include the amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine, and taurine which are found in animal proteins. In addition, iron, copper, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, omega-3 DHA, carotenes, and lutein are required.
Great resources for children’s needs include Super Mini Multi and DHA Kids. If they lack 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, have significant screen time, or do not get much sunshine, add Daily Protector Eye & Immune, Astaxanthin and/or Vitamin D 1000 IU.
5. Top Nutritional Formulas
Your eyes are one of your primary senses and an extension of your brain. They bring enormous amounts of information for your brain to process and interpret into what you ultimately view and see in life.
Support for visual health starts with a diet rich in omega-3 DHA, plant-based antioxidants from 5-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day along with animal proteins, complex unrefined grains, beans, legumes, seeds and nuts, outdoor activity, and physical exercise. Compromised eye health occurs with poorly implemented plant-based or restricted diets that lead to nutrient deficits.
A multiple vitamin formula, a broad-spectrum antioxidant, and omega-3 fish oils provide foundational nutritional support for adult visual health. Start your day with: Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin, Daily Protector Eye & Immune, and Daily DHA.
If you need a little extra support, add Astaxanthin, Vitamin D, Strengthener Plus and/or Hyaluronic Acid.
For more intensive support consider R-Alpha Lipoic Acid, Turmeric Gold, Quercetin, Repair Plus, Brain Protector, Carnosine, Grape Seed Extract, Glutathione Ultra, Green Tea Extract, or other favorite antioxidants. Other parts of your body need these nutrients too!
Loss of vision is one of the most feared health concerns in life. While AI technology, therapy dogs, and other vision assistive resources exist, it is not the same as seeing a sunrise or sunset, the smile on your child’s face, or season changes with your own eyes. Protect your eyes. They need your help, and you need them!
