Your body needs amino acids for growth, tissue repair and to form proteins, as well as many other functions. One amino acid, L-lysine, also known simply as lysine, is an amino acid that your body does not make, and so you need to use supplements or eat lysine-rich foods to help you reach the necessary intake. L-lysine has a number of roles throughout your body, and, in some cases, L-lysine could affect your eyes.
Recommended Intake
The amount of lysine you need each day will vary depending on your current weight. For the average adult, each day, you need 5.5 mg of lysine for every pound of body weight.
To ensure you have a healthful L-lysine intake, eat foods such as a beef tri-tip roast, which provides nearly 2 g of lysine per serving, or cooked lentils, which provide just over 1 g of lysine per cup. Other food sources include other red meats, fish and eggs. You can also eat plant-based foods such as beans and soy products for L-lysine.
Deficiency Symptoms
If you do not have an adequate intake of L-lysine, you might experience symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, stunted growth and anemia. Low levels might also result in eye redness, or bloodshot eyes.
Study
L-lysine does not have any known connection in the treatment or prevention of eye disease, but researchers continue to evaluate possibilities. In 2005, researchers at the Comenius University in Brtislava evaluated the role of lysine in controlling eye pressure. The study used rabbits and administered lysine and medications known to reduce eye pressure. The study concluded that lysine did not have any significant effect on the eye pressure of rabbit specimens.
Considerations
If you consume a diet low in lysine, you should talk with your doctor, and she can help you formulate a dietary plan that will help you reach your necessary intake of this and other nutrients. Also, if you have eye symptoms such as redness, irritation or vision changes, contact your doctor for an evaluation because your condition might stem from a serious eye condition.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; "Lysine"; Dr. David Zieve et al; July 2010
- "Ceská a Slovenská Oftalmologie"; "Changes of Physiological Intraocular Pressure (IOP) in Rabbits After Administration of the Amino Acid Lysine and the Antiglaucoma Drug Latanoprost (Xalatan)"; Z. Oláh et al; May 2005
- MedlinePlus; "Amino Acids"; February 2011
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