Ophthalmologists and optometrists recommend that you eat specific foods or take supplements that contain several types of vitamins to help prevent the advancement of certain eye diseases. According to the American Optometric Association, or AOA, several eye diseases are considered nutrition-responsive disorders. As with any medical issue, consult with your doctor about taking vitamins and supplements for your individual eye conditions.
Cataracts
Cataracts are a vision condition caused by the discoloration and cloudiness of the crystalline lens inside the eye. Most people develop cataracts over time due to exposure to sunlight, as part of the normal aging process and sometimes due to illness or genetics. Studies done by the National Eye Institute, or NEI, show that supplementing your diet with vitamin E, vitamin C, lutein, zinc and essential fatty acids significantly reduces the development of cataract formation. Check with your doctor before taking vitamins or supplements for an eye condition such as cataracts.
Macular Degeneration
The NEI has also conducted studies on vitamins and their relationship in helping an age-related eye disease called macular degeneration, or AMD. Macular degeneration is a progressive vision condition that occurs in the macula -- the part of the eye responsible for your sharpest vision. One NEI study shows that taking 400 IU of vitamin E each day, along with vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc, slowed the progression of AMD by as much as 25 percent. Other studies done by the NEI have confirmed the same results.
Five Recommended Nutrients
Five specific nutrients are linked to reducing risks of certain chronic eye problems. The AOA recommends these be taken daily for healthy eyes: Vitamin E in a supplement dose of 400 IU or from foods such as sweet potatoes, fortified cereals, oils and nuts; vitamin C in a supplement dose of 500 mg or from citrus fruits and juices; lutein in a supplement dose of 10 mg or from leafy dark-green vegetables and eggs; zinc in a supplement dose of 40 to 80 mg or from meat, beans, nuts and milk; essential fatty acids in a supplement dose of 500 mg or from fish oil, tuna and salmon.
References
- National Eye Institute: Age-related Eye Disease Study
- American Optometric Association: Recommended Nutrients for Healthy Eyes
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cataracts
- PubMed Central: "Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism"; Opposing Effects of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Expression of Lipogenic Genes in Omental and Retroperitoneal Adipose Depots in the Rat
