This month patients asked: “Are Eye Vitamins worth it?”
Dr. Patel answered:
Our vision is one of the most sacred and important senses that we have. As a result, many of our patients like to be proactive regarding their eye health, trying to stave off diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. So, are eye vitamins, such as Ocuvite, worth it?
Fortunately, I used to be a clinical investigator for the AREDS studies, the trial that investigated the use of multivitamins and supplements on the development of cataracts as well as macular degeneration. The formulation in the eye vitamins, which are essentially multivitamins with the addition of Zinc, Lutein, Zeazanthin, and Omega-3 FA, DID NOT PREVENT OR DELAY THE ONSET OF MACULAR DEGENERATION OR CATARACTS! What it did, however, was slow the progression of ADVANCED STAGE 3 OR 4 MACULAR DEGENERATION!
I recommend a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and exercise, and meals rich in green, leafy, vegetables. Multivitamins are certainly recommended for general health; therefore, products, such as Centrum Silver, are appropriate. However, spending extra money on the AREDS formulation eye vitamins may not be of any extra clinical benefit according to the study. If you feel more comfortable just taking the vitamins, then a more cost-effective solution is a multivitamin with supplements of zinc and Omega-3 FA.
Be sure to read the label on your current multi-vitamin. Many of these supplements already contain the necessary nutrients your eyes need. It is also important to remember that regardless of the dosage, supplements are not a cure for health problems or a substitute for your medications. Eating healthy and taking a multi-vitamin daily will be sufficient to keep your eyes healthy in many cases.
Remember: there is no proven way to fully prevent macular degeneration or other diseases of the eye, so it is important to do what you can to stay healthy and schedule regular check-ups with your doctor.
