September is Healthy Aging Month. It’s a time to not only celebrate the positive aspects of growing older, but also look at ways that we can take good care of ourselves as we age. Of course, this includes our eyes. Our eyes age right along with the rest of us. If we want to see well for a lifetime, we need to take care of our eyes and ensure they get what they need to stay healthy and working well. Fortunately, the ways that we can keep our eyes healthy are often very similar to ways that we can keep our bodies and brains healthy and our general health in check. |
It is important to note that there are other aspects of maintaining healthy eyes over the course of a lifetime, including getting comprehensive eye exams at regular intervals based on current age and eye condition and decreasing controllable or manageable risk factors such as drinking, smoking, weight, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and exposure to UV radiation from the sun, to name a few.
To learn more about comprehensive eye exams and risk factors, we encourage you to visit our website and relevant blog articles using the links below, as well as contact our office for more information:
Let’s jump in.
Diet & Nutrition for Healthy Aging Eyes
Good nutrition at all ages is vital for your entire body and plays an important role in maintaining healthy eyes.” - American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
It is safe to say that a heart-healthy diet is probably also an eye-healthy diet. Our eyes have a rich blood supply, just like our other organs. Our circulatory system keeps the blood moving throughout our bodies and organs, including our eyes. Therefore, keeping our cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) system healthy is important not only to our overall health, but also our eye health. This is why obesity, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are all considered risks for developing eye disease. These conditions can damage the blood vessels in our eyes and potentially lead to vision loss.
The Mayo Clinic describes a heart-healthy diet as one that:
- Is high in fruits and vegetables.
- Selects whole-grain foods instead of refined, processed, and sugary foods.
- Is low in unhealthy fats such as saturated fat and trans fat.
- Selects low-fat protein including lean meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
- Is low in sodium (salt) intake.
For more information about a heart-healthy diet, please visit the American Heart Association’s website or speak with your primary care physician (PCP).
While a heart-healthy diet is a great place to start and important for our overall health, our eyes need particular vitamins and nutrients to keep them healthy and lower our risk of developing age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
- Vitamins C & E
- Lutein & Zeaxanthin
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA & EPA)
- Zinc
- Copper
Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail.
Vitamins C & E for Eye Health
For a list of food sources of vitamin C and vitamin E, please click here to view our short guide to Food Sources of Vitamins & Nutrients for Eye Health.
Lutein & Zeaxanthin for Eye Health
For a list of food sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, please click here to view our short guide to Food Sources of Vitamins & Nutrients for Eye Health.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA & EPA) for Eye Health
For a list of food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, please click here to view our short guide to Food Sources of Vitamins & Nutrients for Eye Health.
Zinc for Eye Health
For a list of food sources of zinc, please click here to view our short guide to Food Sources of Vitamins & Nutrients for Eye Health.
Copper for Eye Health
Copper is found in a variety of foods. For a list of food sources of copper, please click here to view our short guide to Food Sources of Vitamins & Nutrients for Eye Health.
Are You Getting the Vitamins & Nutrients Your Eyes Need?
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Drinking
- Family history of eye disease
If you’re not getting enough nutritional support from diet alone, your eye doctor may recommend a nutritional supplement specifically formulated to support your eye health.
Nutritional Supplements for Healthy Aging Eyes
While the AREDS and AREDS2 formulations cannot be achieved by diet alone, you should speak with your ophthalmologist before taking this supplement to ensure it is right for you. In addition to determining which formula you should take, your doctor will need to understand all of the medications and nutritional supplements you are taking to ensure it is safe for you to take the AREDS / AREDS2 nutritional supplement based on possible drug interactions.
There is a great deal of information about the AREDS and AREDS2 studies available to patients. To learn more about AREDS and AREDS2, visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the National Eye Institutes (NEI), PreventBlindness.org, and our Medical Treatment for Macular Degeneration page. To learn more about whether the AREDS or AREDS2 formula may be right for you, please contact us to make an appointment to speak with your ophthalmologist.
Additional Resources
- Diet and Nutrition (AAO)
- Vitamin See: Foods Rich in Vitamin C Help Curb Cataracts (AAO)
- Four Fantastic Foods to Keep Your Eyes Healthy (AAO)
- Healthy Eyes Facts (NEI)
- Healthy Living, Healthy Vision (PreventBlindness.org)
- Eating for Eye Health (Mayo Clinic)
To discuss your eye health, healthy eye aging, and nutritional needs for health aging eyes and prevention of eye disease, contact to make an appointment with your ophthalmologist, who can discuss these important topics with you.
Stay tuned for our next post on Healthy Aging Eyes, where we’ll be discussing the importance and role of exercise in maintaining eye health.