supplement spotlight

eye health

nutrients to preserve your vision

How can you protect your vision as you look toward (or move through) your elder years? Studies have identified certain nutrients and vitamins that can play a role in maintaining eye health and reducing the risk of developing age-related eye diseases.

Go with a winning combo

Named for two clinical trials determining that a combination of vitamins and minerals lowered risk of progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 25 percent, AREDS 2 (Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2) supplements can be purchased over the counter. They contain high levels of nutrients that would be difficult to obtain from diet alone.

Talk with your eye care practitioner if you’re considering an AREDS 2 supplement, and check the packaging for these ingredients in the following amounts: ✔ Vitamin C, 500 milligrams (mg) ✔ Vitamin E, 400 international units (IU) ✔ Copper, 2 mg ✔ Zinc, 80 mg ✔ Lutein, 10 mg ✔ Zeaxanthin, 2 mg

Deal with deficiencies

Deficiencies can up your chances of developing eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and AMD. Be sure to get these vitamins in your diet, or consider a supplement:

Vitamin A: Critical to good vision, vitamin A protects against night blindness and dry eyes and supports the cornea.

Vitamins C and E: Due to their antioxidant properties, vitamins C and E can help protect against age-related cataracts.

B vitamins: In one study on women, supplementing with vitamins B6, B9, and B12 showed promise in reducing the risk of AMD; another study on people over age 49 showed a link between higher intakes of the B vitamins riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin, along with protein and vitamin A, and a lower incidence of cataracts. A third study found that a lower intake of vitamin B3 was related to glaucoma.

Other nutrients that are linked to eye health include: omega-3 fatty acids and selenium. Be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner or eye doctor before starting a new supplement regimen. ●

SELECTED SOURCES “4 essential vitamins for eye health” by Beth Sissons, www.MedicalNewsToday.com, 10/25/19 • “AREDS 2 supplements for age-related macular degeneration (AMD),” National Eye Institute, www.nei.nih.gov, 6/22/21 • “Can supplements improve eye health and vision?” by Helen Korneffel, University of Michigan Health Blog, 8/15/19 • “Nutrients for prevention of macular degeneration and eye-related diseases” by Hock Eng Khoo et al., Antioxidants (Basel), 4/19