How to Naturally Improve Eyesight

Improve your eyesight naturally by eating a diet that is high in fruit, vegetables, fish and spices. This will provide  your body with vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and essential fatty acids. Of course, supplements for eyesight improvement are also readily available to complement the nutrition that you get from your food.

Spices - Turmeric, parsley and oregano are highly recommended. The good news is that spices are easy to incorporate into your diet and are virtually calorie free.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids - Most people eat seafood for their main source of Omega 3s. In particular, wild Alaskan salmon and sardines are recommended. You can also get Omega 3s in nuts and seeds, in particular, flaxseeds, walnuts and pistachios.

Antioxidants - Foods that contain beta carotene are also beneficial for the eyes.  For example, pilots are often fed carrots to help with their night vision, as carrots contain a high percentage of vitamin A.  In general, eating the mostly brightly colored fruits and vegetables will be the ones that are best for your eyes.

Lutein - most commonly found in egg yolks.  If you don’t like to eat eggs, you can also commonly find lutein in supplements for vision. It also is available in green vegetables like spinach and broccoli.  Lutein is actually found in the retina of healthy eyes and it acts as a shield against blue light, which is a harmful part of sunlight.

Natural Health Product Fennel, the deliciously exotic and fragrant spice that delights your senses in Indian food and in many breath-freshening preparations is just full of surprises. Did you know that there is strong scientific evidence that this sweet, tasty plant contains compounds that can improve your eyesight naturally and help prevent vision loss on a couple of different fronts? Feast your eyes on this:

In 2008, researchers at the Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research determined that fennel may reduce eye pressure (high ocular pressure is the hallmark of glaucoma, a disease that can cause blindness). For this study*, researchers induced high ocular pressures in rabbits. They evaluated the effects of fennel seed extract on reducing these pressures. They ultimately concluded that fennel did have a beneficial effect on the pressure. This is compelling information, but the Glaucoma Research Foundation does not currently recognize fennel (or any other food) as beneficial to patients with glaucoma. Further evaluation is required in order to establish whether the benefit seen in rabbits is also seen in humans.

A more recent study**, led by researchers from the Department of Biochemistry at the Shivaji University in India strongly suggests that a compound in the fennel seed may prevent diabetic retinopathy (which is responsible for vision loss in diabetics). The researchers isolated a compound from fennel called trans-anethole. Trans-anethole blocks the conversion of sugar to sorbitol in the blood. How does this help the eyes? When blood sugar gets too high, as is often does in diabetics, the excess sugar is converted to sorbitol. Too much sorbitol trapped in the cells of the retina leads to retinopathy, cataracts, and eventually blindness. 

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18831355

You’ve probably heard what recent studies have concluded about Vitamin D boosts you immune system naturally, and how it can be an invaluable ally during flu season. And you’ve no doubt heard the more recent news that Vitamin D might protect against the ravages of type II diabetes. But here’s another amazing benefit this vitamin might offer: strengthen your eyesight as you age.

Dr. Glen Jeffrey and other researchers at the University College of London Institute of Ophthalmology in the UK conducted a study* in which they treated middle-aged mice with Vitamin D for six weeks. For the treated group, one-year-old female mice were injected with safflower oil containing 0.9 micrograms of Vitamin D every three days.  One mouse year is roughly 50 human years.

After six weeks, tests measuring the electrical responses of retinal cells showed significant improvement in the vision of the treated mice. So, what is the mechanism behind these very promising results? According to Dr. Jeffrey, it has to do with the reduction in amyloid deposits and inflammation in the blood vessels—a finding that could have even broader implications beyond those gleaned from this study.

“Finding that amyloid deposits were reduced in the blood vessels of mice that had been given Vitamin D supplements suggests that Vitamin D could be useful in helping to prevent a range of age-related health problems, from deteriorating vision to heart disease, " says Dr. Jeffery.

Ask your health care professional about the best way to incorporate this important nutrient into your supplement regimen.

*http://www.neurobiologyofaging.org/article/S0197-4580(11)00519-7/abstract

Many of us take the strength of our eyesight for granted. It’s easy to do when you’re young and there are so many effective and permanent options for treating things like myopia (poor distance vision). But as we age, our eyes are subject to a plethora of possible problems such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and type II diabetes. Fortunately, there are nutritional supplements that you can take every day to help strengthen your eyesight.

Here are a few of them:

Bilberry. This antioxidant rich fruit has demonstrated in at least one scientific study* that it is effective in preventing cataracts and macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness in people over age 50). There is also strong anecdotal evidence suggesting it helps improve night vision by increasing the production of a pigment that helps the eyes adapt to light changes.

Vitamins C and E, beta carotene and zinc. A 2008 study** published in the Archives of Ophthalmology showed that subjects at high risk for macular degeneration who took this nutrient combination had significantly lower rates of macular degeneration when compared to those taking a placebo. The study concluded that people who are at risk for developing macular degeneration, as determined by their ophthalmologist, “should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc such as that used in this study.”

Ginkgo Biloba. Ginkgo biloba protects against free-radical damage in the retina and improves blood flow in the optic nerve. This is a good thing because the retina requires a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients. In one study***, people with normal tension glaucoma who took 40mg of ginkgo biloba extract three times daily for four weeks showed “a significant improvement in visual fields indices.”

Want to add these natural, eye health supplements to your regimen? 

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16075680
**http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11594942?dopt=Citation
***http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12578781