Eye Care Supplements – Helpful Or Harmful

When it comes to our overall body health, a lot of us take daily supplements and vitamins to keep our bodily systems healthy and functioning. If we are unaware of which vitamins we should be taking, we usually seek advice from our family doctors who might prescribe or recommend different pills to get the essential vitamins that our bodies crave.

However, most people don’t realize that they can take supplements to take care of their eye health. Over the past few years, a lot more studies have gone into the impact of different nutrients that affect our eyes’ development and functionality. They have also researched what causes and how to treat the most common ocular diseases.
Support aging eyes with supplements

We increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration as we grow older. With conventional treatment from your optometrist paired with reasonably priced vitamins, you can slow down the process of macular degeneration. There is a vitamin called AREDS that is named after the studies around these types of nutrients. They feature antioxidants and other nutrients that will fight off the aging process of your eyes. There are two types of AREDS vitamins that you can buy. The first type contains:

400 International Units of vitamin E
500 mg of vitamin C
80 mg of zinc
15 of beta-carotene which translates to 25,000 International Units of vitamin A
2 mg of copper as cupric oxide

The second type of AREDS contains all of the above ingredients except for beta-carotene because it can increase the chance of developing lung cancer with higher doses. They have also added 10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of antioxidant zeaxanthin which is extremely healthy for your eyes. Although there has been no evidence as of yet that suggests AREDS will prevent age-related macular degeneration, it has been proven to slow the disease progression in patients who already have the disease.

Can supplements help with other eye conditions?

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of studies or research focused on other eye conditions compared to age-related macular degeneration, meaning there is little evidence that supports taking supplements can help with other eye conditions. If you do have dry eyes, you can combat it using Omega-3 which is a fatty acid that can be found in coldwater fish like salmon or sardines. It is recommended that you obtain Omega-3 through food sources rather than supplements because your body can absorb more of the nutrients and antioxidants found in those food sources.
Final thoughts

If you are looking to improve your eye health through supplements or vitamins, your best bet is to incorporate lutein, Omega-3, and vitamin A into your diet. These are the best types of vitamins that help with your retinal health or slow down the process of age-related macular degeneration if you already have them. Before buying your vitamins, come to Blink Vision Care to get a professional opinion from your optometrist! We will be able to properly diagnose a pre-existing eye condition and recommend what type of supplements, vitamins, or treatments you should be pursuing.