Screen time is on the rise. With more people working at home, tablets, computers, and cell phones are making digital eye burn more prevalent amongst people of all ages. That means eye health has never been more important than now. Traditionally we’ve been told to increase our carrot intake and to not sit too close to our TV in order to preserve the health of our eyes, but what are actually the most effective and science based strategies to support the health of our eyes?
Let’s take a look at three strategies that can support eye health…Include more nutrient specific foods.
Whole foods provide the body with nutrients Vitamin A, C, E, and Zinc. These nutrients have been shown to support eye health while significantly lowering people’s risk of age-related macular degeneration. In particular, leafy greens like kale, spinach, and collard greens are good to incorporate for eye health because they contain high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin. Avocado and eggs are also highly bioavailable sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. Both lutein and zeaxanthin are important antioxidants in maintaining normal visual function. Specifically, zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids (the pigments found in plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. Lutein is especially interesting as it has been studied for its beneficial effects on cognitive function because of its antioxidant capabilities and its ability to bioaccumulate in the eyes.
Address oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress occurs where there is an imbalance between “free radicals” and antioxidants in the body. Free radical damage can be minimized by eating nutrient-dense foods, and supplementing when needed. From a lifestyle perspective, minimizing free radical damage caused by environmental factors like pollution and pesticides can be helpful as well. Diet-related free radical damage can be found when consuming high amounts of processed or refined foods without balancing this out with antioxidant-rich foods.
Antioxidants like vitamin A, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and alpha-lipoic acid support eye health. Alpha-lipoic acid in particular is an antioxidant of interest because of its ability to support the recycling of antioxidants. Alpha-lipoic acid increases glutathione levels by enhancing the recycling of vitamin C and vitamin E, and reducing the burden on glutathione. Glutathione protects the lens of the eye from UV rays and high-energy visible blue light rays, which can cause cataracts and digital eye burn.
Supplement with eye specific nutrients.
Building off point #2, supplementation can be an effective way of covering all your nutrient-related needs with regards to eye health. A supplement like Total Vision Care can serve as a great option for those looking to fill in any dietary gaps with nutrients specific to eye health. Total Vision Care combines all the nutrients mentioned above (and more). Total Vision Care is also the only vision care supplement recognized by The Vision Institute of Canada. To boost the anti-inflammatory effects of Total Vision Care, fish oil high in DHA such as Platinum Naturals Super DHA may be something to consider adding into your supplement routine as 93% of the omega 3’s found in the retina of the eye are made up of DHA.
As always, consult with a licensed healthcare practitioner to find the correct plan for you that addresses your specific eye-related issues or concerns.
References:
- NIH US National Library of Medicine. Age-related macular degeneration. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/age-related-macular-degeneration
- Prousky, J Principles & Practices of Naturopathic Clinical Nutrition. 2008 (250-259).
- Cangemi FE. BMC Ophthalmol. TOZAL Study: an open case control study of an oral antioxidant and omega 3 supplement for dry AMD. 2007;7:3.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523787/
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0186767
