Eye Health Vitamins
Some vitamins are better for your eye health than others. The best eye health vitamins are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, lutein and zeaxanthin. You are able to obtain these vitamins, called antioxidants, from foods or supplements.
Antioxidants are certain eye health vitamins which help to prevent oxidative damage to your body. As the cells in your body use oxygen, byproducts called free radicals are formed. Free radicals cause the oxidative damage, and antioxidants attach to and capture the free radicals.
Diets high in antioxidants can help to prevent ocular disorders such as cataracts, macular degeneration and complications from diabetes which affect vision. Antioxidants also help to lower high blood pressure and prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Eye health vitamins should contain most of the following elements:
- Vitamin A,
- Vitamin B complex (includes Vitamin B1 [thiamine] Vitamin B2 [riboflavin], Vitamin B3 [niacin or nicotinamide], Vitamin B5 [pantothenic acid], Vitamin B6 [pyridoxine, pyridoxal or pyridoxamine], Vitamin B7 [biotin), Vitamin B9 [folic acid], Vitamin B12 [cyanocobalamin]
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Bioflavonoids
When choosing eye health vitamins, remember these tips:
- Buying a multivitamin or specially formulated eye health vitamins may be less expensive than purchasing each vitamin or nutrient separately.
- Check the expiration date of the bottle. Be sure the expiration date hasn’t passed and is far enough in the future for you to finish the bottle.
- Look at the serving size. Some supplements require one tablet or capsule, others require several.
- Make sure the seal is intact on the bottle.
- Read the label for any ingredients you may be allergic to, such as dairy, wheat, corn or soy.