What Are the Best Vitamins for Eye Health?

An estimated 12 million adults in the US over 40 have some type of vision impairment. Eye damage can get worse as we get older, but regular eye exams and ingesting the right nutrients can help.

If your diet is lacking in the right types of vitamins, you may want to consider taking supplements. There are many vitamins for eye health that can keep your vision strong for years to come. Learn what they are and start protecting your eyes today.

Vitamin E

This vitamin is an antioxidant. Due to its ability to neutralize oxidation, it may help protect parts of the eye against conditions such as cataracts.

Vitamin E may even help those with macular degeneration.

Vitamin C

Also called ascorbic acid, vitamin C is another powerful antioxidant, which is beneficial to our eyes. Vitamin C is a necessary component of collagen production, which is also important to our blood vessels, ligaments, tendons, and bones. It can help protect our body from free radical damage and reactive oxygen.

Vitamin C serves many purposes and remains one of the best supplements for eye health. If you want to learn more about this powerful vitamin, take a look at what it can do for the body.

Vitamin A

This vitamin is a part of rhodopsin, which is a protein that allows us to see better in low light. Rhodopsin takes in light in the retinal receptors and is considered vital to your vision. It also retains retina health and helps to prevent macular degeneration, making it important for aging eyes. 

We can get vitamin A in our diet through dairy products, fish, carrots, broccoli, and cantaloupe, to name a few. If you’re not getting enough vitamin A in your diet, taking a supplement can help.

Various B Vitamins

Vitamins B12, B9, and B6 also play a part in eye health. Researchers have found that B12 can lower homocysteine. High homocysteine levels can increase the risk of macular degeneration, making B12 one of the many vitamins and minerals you should use.

When used in combination with other vitamins, like vitamin B6 and B9, vitamin B12 may help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Niacin

Niacin (vitamin B3) is yet another antioxidant that may help prevent glaucoma, as lower niacin levels were connected to NTG (normal tension glaucoma). However, more studies are needed.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Many eye supplements on the market have a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin. These are carotenoids, pigments that will give fruits and veggies an orange, yellow, or reddish color.

These antioxidants protect your eyes against free radicals and also increase glutathione levels (another important antioxidant).

Take These Vitamins for Eye Health

Many of us don’t get enough vitamins in our diet, making vitamin supplements a good alternative. However, before you take any of these vitamins for eye health, make sure to get an eye exam and talk to your doctor first. Once they give you the all-clear, try some of these vitamins and protect your vision well into your older years.

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