Nutrition and lifestyle choices are very important to eye health. Your eyes sit in an oxygen-rich environment and are exposed to wavelengths of light that can cause damage. There are cells inside your eyes that digest their weight in damaged structures every day! But keeping your eyes shut all the time is not a good option.
So, do what you can to protect your eyes: shield them from exposure to harsh light, never smoke cigarettes (or quit if you do), and give your eyes the nutrition they need to do what they do naturally – defend against damage, and make repairs as needed.
Many nutrients have been shown to support eye health. Large government-funded studies have evaluated the impact of combinations of nutrients on the health of the aging eye. AREDS stands for Age Related Eye Disease Study. The 2 indicates that this was the second major study, testing a variation of the original intervention.
The current standard nutritional eye health formula originating with the AREDS research group is also called AREDS-2. This regimen delivers the following nutrients daily: Lutein 10 mg, Zeaxanthin 2 mg, Vitamin C 500 mg, Vitamin E 400 IU, Zinc 25 mg and Copper 2 mg
Why was this combination of nutrients tested? Vitamins C and E: These antioxidant vitamins can help protect the eye from damaging oxidative stress. Zinc: The eye also accumulates zinc, particularly in a layer called the retinal pigment epithelium. Zinc is important to the activity of certain enzymes working in this part of the eye.
