Can Eye Supplements Improve Vision?

Age-related Macular Degeneration

If you aren't familiar with AMD, it's a slow progressive eye disorder that affects your central vision and the ability to see details directly in front of you; things like reading and driving often become problematic.

AMD is characterized by extensive drusen, visualized as white-yellow deposits under the retinal pigment epithelium and neurosensory retina ¹.

There are degenerative changes that occur involving the outer portion of the retina, retinal pigment epithelium, Bruch's membrane, and less frequently, the choriocapillaris ¹.

The mechanism behind age-related macular degeneration remains mostly unknown, but several theories suggest that oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammatory processes play a role ^2-4.

While there's no way to reverse damage caused by dry AMD (central vision loss), supplementing with things like antioxidants, vitamin C, E, zinc, and copper may reduce the risk of advanced AMD ⁵.

Cataracts

Cataracts are a progressive and painless clouding of the eye's lens, which blocks light and can make it challenging to see clearly. Over time, they can progress and cause blindness.

While most cataracts are age-related, excessive UV exposure can also contribute to cataract formation.

Long-wave UV light readily penetrates the cornea and reaches the lens, where the light is absorbed more efficiently than in any other ocular tissue.

The light is entirely absorbed by small molecules and proteins, where amino acids are converted into photoproducts that accumulate in the human lens, causing the formation of cataracts ⁶.

Taking preventative measures and supplementing with antioxidants helps to prevent cataract formation.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

While technically two of the most important antioxidants involved in eye health, we're going to lump lutein and zeaxanthin into their own category and discuss them separately from other antioxidants.

They're two carotenoids that give fruits and vegetables their yellow-orange-red pigments. They are found in the highest concentrations in the eye's macula and function to absorb excess light and prevent light-related damage to ocular structures.

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They've also been shown to protect against oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, enhance transmission of visual impulses, and play a role in cell-to-cell communication ⁷.

The proof: One study of diabetic patients supplementing lutein and zeaxanthin showed improved visual performance for all measures (contrast sensitivity, macular pigment optical density, colour discrimination, etc.) compared with the placebo group ⁸.

Similarly, another double-blind study found that lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation improved critical flicker fusion (CFF) thresholds, visual-motor reaction times, and visual processing speeds in the groups that received the supplements ⁹.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a special nutrient involved in eye health because it's particularly important for night vision.

It's a precursor for the synthesis of rhodopsin, the photopigment found in rods within the eye's retina that enables us to see at night. Vitamin A also serves as a sensitizing chromophore for UV light ¹⁰.

Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to a condition called xerophthalmia, as well as conjunctival and corneal xerosis, corneal ulcers, Keratomalacia, and corneal scarring ¹¹.

The proof: A 2001 study of nearly 3000 participants attending the Blue Mountains Eye Study found that those supplementing with a multi, B complex, and vitamin A showed a reduced prevalence of either nuclear or cortical cataracts ¹².

Herbal Antioxidants

The purpose of antioxidants is to neutralize endogenous reactive oxygen species by donating an electron to stabilize their outer shell.

While the body naturally has low concentrations of ROS, excessive levels can do a lot of damage, especially to your eyes.

Several plant compounds contain high levels of antioxidants that help to protect the eyes, all of which you'll find in Performance Lab Vision.

• Blackcurrant Extract: Supplies anthocyanin antioxidants that sharpen vision and support healthy blood flow to the eyes. One specific antioxidant, a purple plant pigment called C3G (Cyanidin-3-Glucoside), helps the retina regenerate rhodopsin, a compound required for night vision. Blackcurrant also supports dark adaptation and eye signalling speed.
• Bilberry: Bilberry boosts blackcurrant's antioxidants with a potent matrix of 15+ anthocyanosides that further support rhodopsin regeneration. Bilberry helps to keep eye capillaries flexible, supporting proper blood flow to the retina for enhanced eye health and peak visual performance.
• Saffron: Commonly used in cooking, saffron is a golden spice that supplies antioxidant pigments called safranal and crocin, which protect the macula from free radicals, nourish macular pigment, and boosts blood flow to the eyes. It may also support enhanced motion detection and reduce glare.
• Astaxanthin: Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant found in marine algae that supports enhanced blood flow to the retina. Astaxanthin's ocular circulation support also helps with oxygen and nutrient delivery, as well as easing eye fatigue and promoting active visual performance.

If you want to get your hands on all four of these powerful antioxidants, plus lutein and zeaxanthin, Performance Lab Vision is what you need.

Vitamin E and C

Vitamin E and C are also potent antioxidants, but they serve several other functions in the body that make them incredibly multipurpose. However, in the scope of this article, we're going to talk about why vitamin E and C are effective to support healthy vision.They're both powerful antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals generated during normal metabolic processes and can cause severe damage to essential molecules such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, DNA, and RNA ¹³.

Because the eye has a particularly high metabolic rate, there is an increased need for antioxidant protection.

What's more, vitamin C may be able to regenerate other antioxidants, including vitamin E ¹³.

Vitamin E also benefits ocular health by affecting the expression and activities of molecules and enzymes involved in immune and inflammatory cells, as well as inhibiting platelet aggregation and to improving vasodilation ^{14, 15}.

The proof: A 2001 Age-Related Eye Disease study found that high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc saw a 75% reduced risk of developing cataracts with daily vitamin C intake over 490mg compared to 125mg or less ¹⁶.

Another study found that vitamin C and E supplementation, along with carotenoids, may reduce risk AMD progression by up to 25% ¹⁷.

Zinc

Zinc isn't something we often think about for eye health, but it's equally important as all other eye supplements, as it's present in high concentrations in ocular tissue, especially the retina and choroid ¹⁸.

It's critical for maintaining the health of the retina because of its role as a co-factor for many enzymes, as well as for optimal metabolism of the eye.

Zinc is also a component of the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which has a vital role in scavenging superoxide radicals ad protecting against ROS damage.

What's more, zinc plays a role as an antioxidant and also for immune function, along with a role in the structure of proteins and cell membranes ¹³.

It's been well established that zinc deficiency causes functional impairments in various parts of the eye ¹⁹.