Eye Health

8 Most Essential Supplements for Dry Eyes

Dry eyes produce a pinching sensation due to lack of moist or quality tears in the eyes. Dryness in your eyes can be because of many reasons and can easily be altered to have the required moisture and to keep you on the go. Why wear glasses everywhere when you can treat your problem by using some supplements for dry eyes.

If you seek for some good quality stuff, then the best nutritional supplements to prohibit symptoms of dry eyes consists of omega-3 fatty acids. The “omega-3s” fatty acids that have the specific molecules known as DHA and long-chain EPA have anti-inflammatory properties in nature. Having dry eyes can be very annoying when you belong to the tropical regions.

A study occurred between 40,000 professionals of female health predicts that dietary consumption of omega-3 fatty acids helped in a 30-percentile reduction from the risks of having dry eye symptoms.

The intake amount for each was 1000 mg of omega-3s regularly. Generally, people use eye drops several times of the day to get rid of dry eyes. You can choose some natural supplements to achieve your goal.

Essential Supplements for Dry Eyes

Eyes are one of the involved organs of our body that need high attention. Many types of dry eye supplements can treat your dryness. Based on the variety of causes and symptoms, here are the top nine vitamins or supplements for the effective treatment of your dry eyes

[Also Read: Natural Remedies to Treat Dry Eyes]

1. Vitamin A

Image:ShutterStock

Why does it work?

Vitamin A can give you the essential benefit in vision as it can enhance the power of your image. It helps in maintaining a clear and transparent cornea. Deficiency of Vitamin A in the body has the chances to cause Xerophthalmia. It is also a constituent of the Rhodopsin protein, which helps us to have the vision, even in the presence of low light.

How to use?

You can take the supplement from foods that are rich in Vitamin A. It is a natural way to intake Vitamin A and the most relevant one. It help fight all eye afflictions and will remove the dryness effectively. Proper intake of the food items can reduce the causal of cataract and other diseases related to muscle degeneration.

How much to use?

Sweet potatoes are the best source to provide Vitamin A properly. You can prepare a lot of delicious potato dishes and have them one or two times a week.

2. Vitamin B6, B9, and B1

Why does it work?

These particular vitamins of the Vitamin B series that are – B6, B9, and B12 are known as the helpers of maintaining eye health. Reports(1) say that these vitamins have immensely reduced the risks of AMD in women. They also help in lowering the homocysteine levels.

How to use?

You can consume Vitamin B supplements naturally from the foods that contain a high amount of Vitamin B complex. There are also mild Vitamin B complex capsules available, that can replenish all the requirements of the supplement in your body.

You can combine Vitamin B6, B9 and B12 and consume it, to reduce the risk of development of AMD. The combination will help in lowering the homocysteine levels.

How much to use?

Generally, you can consume the foods that are rich in the levels of Vitamin B. If you are suffering from AMD, then you can take 1000 mcg of Vitamin B12, combined with Vitamin B6 and B9.

[Also Read: Home Remedies for Dry Eyes]

3. Vitamin C

Image:ShutterStock

Why does it work?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps in restricting the formation of free radicals in the body. It is beneficial for those who suffer from AMD (Age-Related Muscle Degeneration), and it is also present in supplements like AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease).

How to use?

Tropical fruits, Citrus, and Lemon are some fruits that have a lot of citric acids. They can enhance the levels of Vitamin C in the body. Consumption of fruits can help in generating Vitamin C levels in a natural way. Vitamin C can correct the impair visions, as well as the cloudiness in vision.

How much to use?

Regular intake of Vitamin C supplements, whether through fruits or Vitamin C capsules with a required amount of 490 mg can save you from cataracts too. Researches(2) showed that the people who consume this level of Vitamin C developed 75% lesser risks of getting a cataract.

[Also Read: Warm Compress for Dry Eyes]

4. Vitamin E

Why does it work?

Researchers believe that many of the eye related problems are in association with the stress, caused by the imbalance between the free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Vitamin E helps in the removal of this oxidative stress and also plays the role of an effective antioxidant.

How to use?

Almonds have a high amount of Vitamin E that can provide nourishment not only to your body but also hair too. Studies also show that, in the older generation, high risks of cataracts can be prevented by the intake of diets with a high amount of Vitamin E.

How much to use?

Intake of 400 IU of Vitamin E, along with other essential nutrients, can help in reducing the risks of ADREDS. Studies also show that regular consumption of appropriate amounts of Vitamin E can reduce the chances of getting ADREDS by 25%. You can find reasonable amounts of Vitamin E in many types of nuts, oils, and seeds. Avocado, green leafy vegetables, and salmon are some other good sources of Vitamin E.

Related Post

5. Riboflavin

Why does it work?

The other name of vitamin B2 is Riboflavin. Scientists say that Riboflavin has the potency to prevent the condition of cataract. Deficiency of Riboflavin can increase the possibilities of developing a cataract or other problems related to the eyes. Some relevant sources of Riboflavin are – milk, Beef, yogurt, oats, and other cereals fortified.

How to use?

Studies show that intake of Riboflavin through capsules can decrease the risk of cataracts by 31% to 51%. It can only be possible by including 1.6 mg to 2.2 mg of Riboflavin in the diet.

How much to use?

Experts of Health always suggest that regular consumption of Riboflavin in a fixed amount, which is 1.1 mg to 1.3 mg. One can easily attain it by involving food items in the diet, which are rich in Vitamin B2. Yogurt, oats, Beef, fortified cereals, and milk are the best examples of food items that supply Riboflavin naturally.

6. Omega 3 for Dry Eyes

Image:ShutterStock

Fishes are the excellent sources, that can provide sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids to the body. You can choose any best fish oil for dry eyes, as the omega-3 present in it can help in preventing Diabetic Retinopathy or DR. The fatty acids can produce more tears and can provide relief from the symptoms related to dryness.

How to use?

The supplements having omega-3 can help in enhancing the oil content of tears and in their formation by tear glands. By choosing the supplements for dry eyes, you can fight through many of the problems. Our tears are a mix of water and oils, and to have a clear and good vision, the visible portion of the eye needs to have a thin layer of tears above it.

How much to use?

As per the researches, one can also fulfill the requirement of omega 3 in the body by eating fish, if the individual wants to replace fish oil. Fatty fishes, such as – salmon, halibut, albacore tuna, striped sea bass, and catfish are good sources of omega 3.

7. Thiamine

Why does it work?

Thiamine is the other name of Vitamin B1. Thiamine is known for enabling the proper functioning of the cell. It can convert the food faster into energy. As per the studies(3), Thiamine can reduce the risks of getting cataracts by 40-percentile. It is often added to the breakfast meals.

How to use?

Thiamine can be taken from the food items, such as – wheat, fish, and whole grains.

How much to use?

According to a clinical study, it is clear that an intake of 100 mg of Thiamine regularly can reduce the amount of albumin in the urine. It should also repeat three times a day.

8. Niacin

Image:ShutterStock

Why does it work?

Niacin is also known as Vitamin B3, and it serves the body as an antioxidant. Niacin can help in dealing with an optic nerve disease, known as glaucoma. Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve of your eye, causing you blindness or inability of having the vision.

How to use?

Studies on an animal showed that the high doses of niacin supplements to it were not only safe but also effective in preventing the problem of glaucoma. Deficiency of Niacin can disappear by the intake of mushrooms, legumes, and peanuts.

How much to use?

Consumption of 1.5 g to 5 g of Niacin regularly, can reduce and correct a lot of eye problems.

Taking the supplements blindly without checking their possibilities of causing side effects can be dangerous. Omega 3 is the best supplement to deal with dry eyes and has the least or is equal to a “no-amount” of side effects if compared to any other supplement or measure. Try to consume foods that have high levels of omega 3. The supplements mentioned above are highly beneficial and extremely effective in increasing the quantity and quality of the produced tears, naturally.

A lot of fishes have high levels of mercury that usually doesn’t affect to any adult. But the consumption of high levels of mercury can be dangerous for women who are pregnant. One must consult a doctor before choosing any supplement for your dry eyes.


FAQs

1. How Is Flaxseed Oil Beneficial for Dry Eyes?

Flaxseed oil for dry eyes is indeed highly beneficial. Flaxseed oil has a high nutritional value, and it includes Omega-3 as a primary and vital constituent.

You can find the supplements of flaxseed oil in two forms – liquid and capsule forms. Though the capsules of flaxseed oil are more convenient to carry and store, you have to consume more of them to meet the requirements of daily dosage. External factors such as heat, light, and oxygen can destroy the nutritional value of the flaxseed oil.

2. How Effective is Omega-3 for Dry Eyes?

Omega-3 is the main ingredient that can resolve the problem of dryness in the eyes. It is present in the majority of the anti inflammation supplements that also accompany the essential vitamins for dry eyes.

According to many of the researches, the fact about omega-3 fatty acid playing an active role in the treatment of dry eyes is actual. Fish oil for dry eyes has an abundant amount of omega 3, as per the requirement of the body.

3. What are the symptoms of Dry Eyes?

Many symptoms can represent the dryness of eyes. Some of the significant signs of dry eye syndrome are, aching sensations, eyes filled with fatigue,  sore eyes, blurred vision, red eyes etc.