Eye Studies Reveal Natural Eye Care Effectiveness

At Natural Eye Care, we view vision health from a whole-body perspective. Eye studies can reveal how to manage the visual system. However, the health of the eyes is connected to overall health. The visual system requires as much as 25% of the nutrients we take into our bodies. The brain needs even more. How we take care of ourselves goes a long way in helping to preserve healthy vision. Personal care includes emotional balance, and lifestyle considerations such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and targeted supplementation.

The eyes are sensitive to the health of the rest of the body. Some underlying health issues can be seen in the retina well before specialists identify them. For example, an eye doctor can find markers for diabetes, hypertension, Multiple Sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases by examining the retina. Beta-amyloid plaque in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients can first appear in the retina. The nutritional needs of the eyes are profound. Eye studies have shown that if the eyes are starving, they can draw nutrients from other parts of the body.

Revealing Eye Studies About Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one reason seniors should have an annual dilated eye exam. Early detection is crucial to helping prevent vision loss from treatable eye diseases.

Worldwide, 3.54% of individuals ages 40-80 years have glaucoma. This cluster of eye diseases is the leading cause of irreversible blindness.¹

A new study suggests that autoimmune issues, oxidative stress, and inflammation might contribute to glaucoma. People with glaucoma were found to have lower levels of certain substances in their blood, including IL-2Rβ, TWEAK, CX3CL1, CD6, CD5, LAP TGF-beta1, LIF-R, TRAIL, NT-3, and CCL23. They also had higher levels of IL-22Rα1. The findings show that people with glaucoma often have lower levels of proteins that protect nerves and higher levels of proteins that cause inflammation in the nerves. These patterns are similar to what is seen in psychiatric, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. This suggests there might be a connection between these conditions and the development of glaucoma.²

Research indicates that providing the optic nerves with proper nourishment is crucial to keeping them healthy. These nerves play a key role in processing light and images, sending them to the visual cortex in the brain, which helps us understand what we see.

Essential Nutrients for Glaucoma

Alpha Lipoic Acid

In patients with open-angle glaucoma who were given 150mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid daily, 45-47% of the eyes showed improvement in color visual fields and visual sensitivity compared to those who did not receive it.³

Bilberry and Pine Bark

When bilberry and pine bark were used together, they helped lower eye pressure after 2 months.⁴

Gingko Biloba

Eye studies have found that taking Gingko Biloba can improve visual field tests, maybe because it helps increase blood flow to the eyes. These benefits were seen after taking 120 mg of ginkgo biloba daily for 4 weeks.⁵

Vitamin C

In large doses, Vitamin C has been shown to reduce intraocular pressure in several studies.⁶

Vitamin E

A study of glaucoma patients found that the group that took vitamin E showed a significant decrease in visual field loss versus the group that did not. This suggests that vitamin E might help protect the nerves in glaucoma.⁷

Vitamin B12

Patients with glaucoma who were treated with vitamin B12 for more than 5 years showed improved vision and better management of their condition overall.⁸

Magnesium

People with open-angle glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma who took magnesium twice a day had improvements in their field of vision and fewer peripheral vasospasms.⁹

N-acetyl Cysteine

Reactive oxygen in the trabecular meshwork is linked to open-angle glaucoma. N-acetyl cysteine, an important part of glutathione, might mitigate the problem.¹⁰

Taurine is an amino acid that is concentrated in the eye and optic nerve. Taurine could help balance out too much of the nerve-harming substance called “glutamate”. Taking a single dose has been shown in studies to help improve blood flow when the body is under oxidative stress by helping blood vessels open up.¹¹

Cataracts: Cloudy Lenses

Cataracts are a major cause of vision loss. Signs can include blurry or hazy vision that gets worse with time, and trouble with bright lights. A cloudy spot on the lens makes it hard to see clearly. This cloudiness can get worse over time. Many people notice their vision getting blurry and needing more light to see clearly, or having trouble reading signs from far away.

Surgery to replace the lens with an artificial lens is a safe and effective treatment. However, some seniors want to hold off on cataract surgery for various reasons. Studies have found that certain lifestyle changes, diet, and taking specific supplements can help keep your eye lenses healthy.
The crystallin proteins are crucial for keeping the lens clear. Changes in how these proteins interact up close can cause light to scatter in the lens, which is linked to cataracts.¹²

Oxysterol

In a study on rodents, oxysterol, a type of cholesterol, made lenses less cloudy in 61 percent of cases. This shows its potential for treating cataracts.¹³

Fight Glycation

Glycation is a natural process that happens when sugar and protein molecules stick together. Eating a lot of sugary or refined foods and spending too much time in the sun can speed up glycation. This is one of the main reasons that cataracts develop.

To lower your chances of getting cataracts, wear sunglasses that protect against 100% of UVA and UVB rays whenever you are outside. Polarized lenses reduce glare.

Glutathione is a master antioxidant that fights glycation and oxidative stress, repairs DNA, boosts energy, reduces inflammation, strengthens your immune system, and helps your body get rid of toxins. You can find it in eggs, nuts, beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, fish, and chicken.

If you decide to take glutathione as a supplement, keep in mind that it is not absorbed very well in pill or capsule form. Purchase the type that you can take under your tongue (sublingually) or spray into your mouth.

Computer Eye Strain

The top complaints people tell their eye doctors about are caused by using computer and phone screens. Some common issues related to this include eye strain, dry eye, blurry vision, trouble focusing, headaches, migraines, myopia (near-sightedness), and pain in the neck or back. Using screens for hours per day, over time, can also increase pressure in your eyes, which might lead to glaucoma. Also, the blue light from close-up screens contributes to cataracts and insomnia.

A recent study found that just 2 hours of screen time each day could cause symptoms of computer eye strain. Between 2014 and 2020, the average time people spend looking at screens each day went up from about 6 hours and 52 minutes to 7 hours and 18 minutes. And almost 90% of Americans in 2016 spent at least 2 hours a day using digital devices, a number that stayed about the same during the COVID-19 pandemic.¹⁴

Tips: Try to take regular breaks from the computer to stretch and perform eye exercises. Our free eye exercise e-book includes acupressure points around the eyes. Click to download our eye exercise ebook.

Yoga Classes for Seniors

This is a weekly chair/yoga class for seniors for general and vision health run by Lucy Hassinger at the Ulysses Philomathic Library in Trumansburg, NY. For more information, email Lucy @gmail.com.

Suggested Supplements

Viteyes Optic Nerve Support Formula – 90 tablets  OR Dr. Grossman’s Circulation and Optic Nerve Support Formula

Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula (whole food) 60 vcaps – whole food, organic, GMO free formula for eye and overall health.

Dr. Grossman’s Meso Plus Retinal Support and Computer Eye Strain Formula with Astaxanthin 90 vcaps – also includes Taurine, lutein, zeaxanthin and mesozeaxanthin.

Retinal Support (wild-crafted herbal formula) 2 oz – for Liver (meridian) support. In Chinese medicine, the Liver “opens to the eyes”, and supports the healthy flow of energy and circulation.

Dr. Grossman’s Blood Vessel Control Formula 2oz – wild crafted, herbal formula. Helps reduce the risk of unwanted blood vessel growth and reduces inflammation.

Taurine Extra Strength 1000 mg 100 vcaps (TAU30)

Dr. Grossman’s Whole Food Organic Superfood Multi-Vitamin 120 Vcaps

Supplement Packages (all packages are discounted 10%)

Advanced Eye & Vision Support & Meso Plus Formula with Astaxanthin (3-mo. Combo)

Dr. Grossman’s Advanced Eye and Dr. G’s Whole Food Superfood Multi1 20 Vcap Combo – 2 months supply

Recommended Books

Natural Eye Care: Your Guide to Healthy Vision and Healing

Natural Brain Support: Your Guide to Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Other Related Diseases Naturally

Natural Parkinson’s Support: Your Guide to Preventing and Managing Parkinson’s