There is increasing recognition of the importance of lifelong good nutrition to eye health, and even doctors are suggesting certain dietary supplements to help avoid conditions such as dry eyes, cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Evelyn Theiss, writing for Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer, talked with eye health care providers about the connection between diet and eye health, as well as the evolving research about how antioxidants can prevent oxidative damage to the eye.
Mark Davis, O.D., an optometrist in the area and member of the Ocular Nutrition Society told Theiss he’s increasingly finding professionals are interested in nutrients for eye health, and that more research is helping to elucidate which compounds do exert helpful effects. Among the nutrients Davis recommends are vitamin A and lutein to enhance night vision, zeaxanthin for its antioxidant effects, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, an omega-3) to prevent retinal damage, and zinc to fight macular degeneration. In fact, Davis served his residency at Cleveland’s Veterans Affairs Hospital while it was a research-gathering site for the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). He recalled, “That truly spearheaded my, and a lot of other people’s, interest in the connection between vitamins and minerals and vision.”
Theiss also interviewed Steven Meadows, an eye surgeon in the area, who said he recommends his patients take dietary supplements to support their eye health because most of them don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables to get the nutrients they need. He also called out dry eyes as a common problem, exacerbated by age and lifestyle (i.e., wearing contacts, working at a computer). To fight dry eyes, he suggests patients consume more omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), either by consuming fatty fish three or four times a week, adding ground flaxseed to foods, or taking omega-3 supplements. Patients who follow those recommendations have better tear quality, he said, helping with less blurry vision.
The article also quoted The Ocular Nutrition Society, which predicted, “Disease prevention, including lifestyle modification, attention to dietary intake and micronutrient supplementation must become more of a focus of primary vision care.” Theiss suggested consumers make sure they’re consuming enough lutein and zeaxanthin, omega-3 EFAs, zinc, and vitamins A, B, C and E. Cleveland.com also provided a list of key nutrients, good food sources, recommended daily intake and their eye health effects.