Best Supplements for Eye Health – Improve Your Vision

Your eyes are complex organs which depend on various factors to produce clear vision, but there are ways to maintain eye health and improve your vision.

Common conditions like nutrient deficiencies, cataracts and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) can affect your eye health and vision.

However, you can minimize or reverse many of these effects with lifestyle changes or dietary supplements, so we will examine the benefits of eye health supplements in this article.

Like most aspects of health, a healthy diet is vital for keeping your eyes healthy and can help reduce your risk of developing eye conditions. Your eyes require many different nutrients to stay healthy, so you should do your best to eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins for the eyes, like vitamins A, E, and C.

However, it’s not always possible to get healthy amounts of essential nutrients through diet alone, so you should consider taking dietary supplements, especially if you’re on a restricted diet. Furthermore, studies show that getting enough essential nutrients (from a healthy diet or vision supplements) can help to prevent a wide range of eye conditions, including:

• Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
• Cataracts (which cause cloudy vision)
• Poor night vision
• Glaucoma
• Dry eyes

Can Supplements Improve Eye Health and Vision?

Vitamins are widely believed to support eye health and vision – you’ve probably heard that carrots can help you see in the dark – but how much can a simple dietary supplement improve your vision? Although the myth that carrots give you night vision is nothing more than an old wives’ tale (that has its roots in WWII-era propaganda*), taking a supplement for eyesight improvement can have surprising benefits.

A ground-breaking study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that taking dietary supplements improved eye health and lowered the risk of AMD. Since Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States – affecting more than 10 million people – it’s fair to say that taking vitamins to help eyesight is a good way of maintaining your eye health and vision.

*The British Ministry of Information published propaganda falsely claiming that carrots could “help you to see in the blackout” to obscure the development of radar technology which helped foil German air raids during World War 2.

What supplements may help my eye health?

Nutrition plays a massive role in maintaining eye health, so taking dietary supplements can have massive benefits, especially if you are deficient in certain nutrients. Studies show that the following vitamins, minerals and nutrients can help support eye health and vision, so look for eye health supplements containing:

1. Lutein and zeaxanthin

Zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids – pigments in your retina and certain plants like carrots – that help protect your eyes by absorbing high-energy blue and ultraviolet light. Carotenoids can be found in colorful fruit and vegetables like watermelon, tomatoes, oranges and kale, and are often added to vitamins for eyes.

2. Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral with powerful antioxidant effects that help to protect against cell damage and maintain eye health. Zinc also supports heart health, immune function and more, making it a great addition to vision supplements.

RELATED: Read our blog on the Best Form of Zinc Supplements to learn more about the benefits of zinc.

3. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Vitamin B1 (also known as thiamine) is essential for your eye health and may help to reduce your risk of getting cataracts when taken with other vitamins. Additionally, vitamin B1 is vital for energy production and supports hundreds of biological functions, so if you’re looking for the number one supplement for eyesight improvement, make sure it has vitamin B1.

RELATED: Learn about the different types of B vitamins in our blog on B Complex Vitamins Vs B12.

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 is an amazing nutrient that helps reduce inflammation, protect against the effects of aging, and support eye health. Furthermore, most Americans don’t get their recommended daily intake of Omega-3s through diet, so as we’ve written on this site before, you should be taking omega-3 vitamins to help eyesight.

RELATED: Read our Cod Liver Oil Vs Fish Oil blog to learn more about the sources, benefits and types of omega-3 fatty acids

5. Vitamin C

Vitamin C has many health benefits, as it has antioxidant effects, supports the immune system and can also reduce your risk of getting cataracts. Additionally, some studies found that taking eye health supplements with vitamins C and E can reduce your risk of cataracts and slow the progression of cataracts.

RELATED: Learn more about the benefits and uses of vitamin C in our roundup of the Top 10 Vitamin C Supplements from 2021.

How many doses should you take of Vision Supplements?

Because most dietary supplements for eye health work by providing essential nutrients, you should stick to the recommended dosages to avoid taking more than you need. More is not necessarily better when taking vitamins for eyes, as your body can only use so much of these essential nutrients, and taking excessive amounts can be harmful.

The recommended intake of dietary supplements can vary wildly depending on their ingredients, so you should always follow the guidance on the product label. While many vitamins are safe, some nutrients are toxic in large amounts: For example, vitamin C is water-soluble, and excess amounts are easily purged in your urine, but vitamin A is fat-based, and your body will struggle to get rid of dangerous amounts.

When should you see your doctor?

If you are concerned about your eye health or declining vision, you should consult an ophthalmologist (a doctor specializing in eye health) at your earliest convenience. Many factors can affect your eye health, and changes in your vision may be a symptom of a serious illness, so we strongly recommend asking for professional medical advice before trying a new supplement for eyesight improvement.

There are no hard and fast rules for seeing a doctor about your eye health, but you should consider booking a checkup if something feels off or you notice a sudden change in your vision. However, your vision will naturally change over time due to the effects of aging, and many AMD symptoms (such as cataracts) are normal for older people, so it may be nothing to worry about.

4 Best Supplements for Eye Health

While it is possible to get the nutrients your eyes need from a balanced diet, it’s much easier to meet your nutritional needs with a dietary supplement, and fortunately, there are plenty of great options to choose from. Read on to see our list of the top 4 best supplements for eye health, chosen based on price point, active ingredients and certification:

Conclusion

Your eye health and vision can be affected by various factors, including age and genetics, but lifestyle factors play a significant role in maintaining healthy eyesight. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and getting plenty of essential nutrients – through a balanced diet and/or eye health supplements – contributes significantly to eye health and vision.

While the nutrients we’ve listed can do wonders for your eye health, eating more natural sources (such as kale, spinach and carrots) or taking them in supplements is only one way to support healthy eyes. As well as getting plenty of vitamins for eyes, the following lifestyle changes will help you maintain healthy eyes and vision:

• Avoid Smoking: Smoking damages blood vessels in your eyes and increases your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and other sight issues.
• Avoid Ultraviolet (UV) Light: Wear sunglasses outdoors and avoid staring at bright lights to reduce your exposure to harmful UV light.
• Eat Plenty of Vegetables: Leafy vegetables, oranges, eggs, spinach and corn are all great sources of nutrients that support eye health, like carotenoids and vitamin C.
• Get Regular Eye Tests: After age 60, you are at greater risk of AMD, so you should have annual dilated eye exams to detect any issues with your eye health early.