Many of us take supplements because we want to support our muscles, skin, bones, brains and heart — but we often forget about the miraculous structure we depend on every day.
Our eyesight is essential for our survival and quality of life and deserves its own set of supplements to help prevent and minimize eye-related problems. Let’s start with some awareness surrounding one of the most common diseases/disorders to understand how you can improve overall eye health.
Macular degeneration is when the macula (part of the retina) has been worn down or damaged, leading to vision loss. In fact, macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss for people over 50. Recent studies show that increasing “blue light” exposure can play a big part in this degeneration process. Symptoms to look out for (pun not intended) are:
-Distorted shapes
-Straight lines looking wavy
-Seeing things in black and white
-Dark spots/areas in your field of vision
We all know that proper nutrition is vital and that a whole food diet loaded with fruits and vegetables are an excellent way of getting the nutrients we need to function. The real struggle for most people is finding the time to prepare the right amounts of healthy foods for our bodies to obtain the optimal doses of vitamins and minerals every day. That’s where a daily supplement or two can help to balance out these missing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to give our eye health the boost that it needs, especially as we age.
Some vitamins/supplements that can help improve your eye health are:
- Lutein and zeaxanthin can slow or prevent macular degeneration by reducing tissue damage and providing visual acuity.
- Vitamin C supports the health of blood vessels located in the eye. Experts also believe it slows macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts.
- Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and reacts with free radicals. Experts believe that Vitamin E is essential for proper immune system function and tissue health.
- Zinc is needed to bring Vitamin A from the liver to the eye, making melanin to protect the retina from damage and promote retina health, in general. Studies have shown that zinc can slow the progression of macular degeneration.
Adding a few good eye-health practices and supplements into your daily routine can help prolong your ability to enjoy the wonders and beauty of the world around you.
If you have any concerns regarding the overall health of your eyes you can book an appointment online, or give us a call at (403)262-5012.
We’re happy to help!
