After scientists discovered that your diet has a large impact on your eye health, eye vitamins and supplements have been subjected to a lot of debate, discussion, and research. While researchers have made a lot of profound discoveries about eye health vitamins and minerals, the amount of information available can be quite overwhelming for an individual looking for information about supplementation. Because of all the information out there, we've written a quick guide to eye supplements for your convenience.
Eye Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins A, C, E, B2 and minerals Zinc, Lutein and Selenium are generally regarded as the most important vitamins and minerals toward maintaining overall eye health.
Vitamin A assists in clear vision, better eyesight, and night vision. Pro-Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) is involved responsible for bio-electric functions of your eyes, and also protects your eyes as an antioxidant.
Vitamin C assists in protecting the optic nerve, assists in reducing the risk for cataracts, and also can assist in delaying and preventing age-related macular degeneration.
Vitamin E has been clinically proven to play a role in preventing age-related macular degeneration & cataracts. Studies have shown that there is a 25% lower chance of developing advance macular degeneration when supplementing with Vitamin E along with other antioxidants.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) helps to strengthen the cornea via a process known as collagen cross linking. Riboflavin also has been shown to prevent the eye disorder keratoconus.
Selenium is a mineral that assists in allowing your body to absorb vitamin E. Selenium also has a role in converting Vitamin E into it's antioxidant forms, which play many roles in body & eye health.
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays many roles in your body's overall health. Specific to eyesight, Zinc helps your body to absorb vitamin A, which many debate is the most important vitamin to overall eye health. Zinc has been shown to help protect against night blindness, and ARMD.
Lutein is a newer mineral that has recently been shown to have a broad impact on overall preventative eye health. Studies have shown Lutein to have even more preventative properties than Vitamin A, and directly helps in preventing age-related macular degeneration.
 Do I get enough eye vitamins & minerals through my daily diet?
While it's possible to get your vitamins and minerals exclusively through a nutrient rich diet, few individuals ever would eat the variety of foods necessary to reap the benefits that an eye supplement could provide. Many eye specific vitamins are not found in common foods, and for most people, it's much more convenient to simply take a supplement for their eye health.
Overall, eye supplements generally follow the National Eye Institute's AREDS (Age Related Eye Disease) formula, although a few supplements add additional supplementation on top of the standard Eye Institute formula. Most supplements such as Ocuvite have been proven to help prevent, or slow down age-related eye disease by as much as 25%, while many supplements have been linked towards the prevention & slowing of other eye diseases including glaucoma, cataracts, and even Diabetic Retinopathy.
In addition to helping preventing major eye disease, some brands also manufacture supplements designed to combat the symptoms & causes of Dry-Eye syndrome by using Omega-3 Fatty Acids along with other vitamins & minerals.
It's never too early to start a supplementation plan, and proper eye supplementation is beneficial even for children.
As always, Discount Contact Lenses provides a wide selection of the top selling eye supplements at affordable prices, with award winning customer service.
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