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All right, so what vitamins and supplements
do I take as an eye doctor to help maximize
my eye health, prevent eye disease, and
improve my eyesight? In today’s video,
I’m going to break down my supplement routine
and what I take to help my eyes, brain,
stress levels, and even physical fitness. That’s
what we’re talking about. Let’s take a look.
Now, before we dive in, I think
it is super important to mention
that I have personally only been diagnosed
with myopia, astigmatism, dry eye disease,
and meibomian gland dysfunction. I have never
been diagnosed with conditions like diabetes,
glaucoma, or age-related macular degeneration.
However, some people out there who suffer from
those diseases may have been prescribed
or recommended supplements specifically
to help with those individual conditions.
So, it’s super important to keep in mind to
always talk to your local eye doctor about
what is best for you and your eye health.
All right, so to start off, I take supplements
of lutein and zeaxanthin. These are xanthophyll
carotenoids found in green leafy vegetables
like spinach and kale but also in egg yolk
to some extent. Xanthophyll carotenoids,
when they travel through your bloodstream,
deposit in the eye at a concentration 1,000 times
greater than what is typically found floating in
the bloodstream. When they deposit in the eye,
they work as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories,
but they also act as nature’s natural
blue light blockers. They filter out
high-energy blue light that passes
through the eye and hits the retina.
Research has shown that people who take
supplements of xanthophyll carotenoids,
such as lutein and zeaxanthin, can
boost the macular pigment in the retina,
which is associated with a reduced risk of aging
eye diseases, such as macular degeneration. There
are also publications showing that taking these
supplements can improve visual performance,
mainly through improved contrast sensitivity,
which helps you detect smaller differences
in elements of your eyesight, especially in
low-light situations. It also reduces glare,
which may be important if you’re staring at a
computer screen all day or driving in low-light
situations. Additionally, it helps improve
photostress recovery and visual processing speed,
meaning you may be able to process visual
information faster within your brain.
There’s also research showing that
supplementation of these carotenoids
can improve cognition and memory in
adults, and a newer publication shows
similar results when children take
this type of supplement. Furthermore,
publications show that lutein and zeaxanthin can
help with stress levels, sleep, and dry eyes. A
very new publication found that taking these
types of supplements can reduce inflammatory
cytokines linked to atherosclerosis development,
which is why we develop heart attacks and strokes.
For lutein, I take somewhere between
10 and 20 mg a day, and for zeaxanthin,
between 2 and 4 mg a day. As far as the
research goes for these two supplements,
I consider it to be pretty
moderate to strong evidence.
Next up is curcumin or curcuminoids, which are
derivatives of turmeric. This has been used in
many clinical studies lately because of
its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties. It’s being studied for metabolic
disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, skin care,
and even as a pain therapeutic. In the eye
care space, it’s been researched mainly for
retinal diseases because of its antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties, but also for dry
eye research. Most of the research on retinal
diseases is done in animals, such as mice,
so it’s lacking in human studies in that specific
area. However, there are human studies looking
at curcumin’s benefits for dry eye disease,
which is why I primarily choose to take it.
Historically, curcuminoids are known to have poor
bioavailability, meaning even though you ingest
it, your body doesn’t necessarily absorb it well.
So, it’s often paired with piperine, an alkaloid
found in black pepper. Taken together, your
intestinal wall can better absorb the curcuminoids
and process them in the liver. In the past,
I used to take about 500 mg of curcumin a day
mixed with about 10-15 mg of piperine. However,
new research has found better ways to process and
make nanocurcumin or microcellular curcumin, which
has greater bioavailability. Now, I take about 200
mg of this nanocurcumin every day, usually as part
of a multivitamin specifically made for the eyes,
which I will talk more about later in the video.
As far as the research goes, especially for
curcumin being beneficial for dry eye, I consider
the evidence to be moderate, though I’d like to
see more extensive research, particularly
in retinal health and with human subjects.
Next up is omega-3 fatty acids. We’ve talked
extensively about omega-3s and their benefits
for the eyes on this channel. Historically,
omega-3s have been known to be beneficial for
cardiac reasons—mainly for reducing triglyceride
levels, lowering blood pressure slightly,
and helping with heart rate and inflammation.
That’s not without controversy, but in the
eye care space, omega-3s have been found to
significantly impact both eye and brain health,
specifically in the form of DHA omega-3. In
fact, about 50-60% of the fatty acid content
found within the phospholipid membranes of
rod photoreceptors in the retina is made up of
DHA. Extensive research shows that people who
consume more oily fish have a reduced risk of
developing and progressing retinal diseases, such
as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.
There’s also a lot of research on omega-3s for
helping with dry eye disease. While the research
is extensive, it can be conflicting, but I’ve
personally experienced improvements in my dry
eye scores and symptoms when taking omega-3s,
which is why I continue to take them. I try to
eat oily fish at least twice a week, but I also
take supplements ranging from 1,000 mg to 2,400
mg of omega-3s daily. Specifically, I’ve had
great success using the PRN brand of omega-3s
designed for dry eyes, containing about 1,680 mg
of EPA and 560 mg of DHA. There’s also interesting
research on phospholipid and lipophospholipid
DHA potentially being more bioavailable for
neural tissue, including the brain and retina,
but more studies are needed in this area.
Next up is vitamin D. While most people know
vitamin D’s role in bone growth and development,
it also plays a role in inflammation, cell growth
modulation, neuromuscular and immune function,
and glucose metabolism. The challenge is that most
people, including myself, spend most of the day
indoors, meaning we don’t get enough sunlight to
produce adequate vitamin D. I try to get outside,
but when I do, I often wear sunglasses
and sunscreen to protect my skin from
UV damage. Research shows vitamin D
plays a role in dry eye and corneal
wound healing, though I find the
evidence to be low to moderate,
and I’d like to see more studies. Because
I don’t get much sunlight, I choose to take
supplements of about 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D3
daily. Most of that comes from other supplements,
such as my PRN omega-3s and another
eye supplement I’ll discuss later.
Next up is astaxanthin, a carotenoid with 40
times the antioxidant capacity of beta-carotene.
I recently did a video discussing the research
on astaxanthin and its benefits for the eyes. It
has been found to improve blood flow to parts
of the eye, help with eye strain and dry eyes,
and potentially slow cataract development. I
think the research is still weak, but there is
modest evidence supporting astaxanthin’s benefits
for skin health and its role in sebum production,
which may help with meibomian gland function
and dry eye. I take about 12 mg of astaxanthin
every other day, though I also get it
through my diet by eating oily fish.
In the past, I used to take individual pills
for each supplement, but recently, Bausch + Lomb
released a supplement for dry eye that
includes lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin D,
and curcuminoids, so I’ve consolidated to taking
just one of these daily, along with my omega-3s
and occasional astaxanthin. I also take
about 5 mg of creatine daily, primarily
for athletic performance, but there’s also some
research suggesting it may help with depression
and brain health. Occasionally, I’ll take
an electrolyte mix like Dry Eye Drink or
Dry Eye Drink PM, which contains melatonin
and helps me sleep when I travel for lectures.
Now, just because I choose to take a supplement
doesn’t mean you should. Supplements can interact
with medications or cause problems when taken
in excess, so it’s always important to consult
your local family doctor and eye doctor if you’re
considering taking supplements. I also encourage
people to focus on the fundamentals like diet,
exercise, and sleep. Sleep is a really interesting
topic in eye care right now, so if you want
tips on improving your own sleep habits,
check out my upcoming video over here. Or
if you’re interested in learning more about
how diets like the ketogenic diet or intermittent
fasting affect the eyes, check out my next series.
Otherwise, Dr. Allen here from Dr. Eye Health,
thank you so much for joining me. Keep an eye
on it, and I’ll see you in the next videos.