Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “It seems like I have suffered from dry eyes all my life. To make matters worse, I work all day in front of a computer and by the end of the day my eyes are tired and very dry. I’m looking for a solution that will help improve my eyesight and reduce the dryness. I have seen the commercials for prescription eye drops (i.e., Restasis), but would rather use a natural product to alleviate the dryness. Any suggestions?” — Carla H., Louisville, KY

A. Dear Carla, Nothing is more uncomfortable than having red, itchy, irritated eyes. The eyes depend on constant moisture and lubrication to maintain vision and comfort. Dry eyes occur when your tears, which are comprised of oil, water, and mucous, aren’t able to provide adequate moisture for your eyes. Dry eyes can also be caused by situations that dry out the tear film. This can be due to dry air from air conditioning, heat, or other environmental conditions. Other factors that may cause dry eyes include the natural aging process (especially menopause), side effects from prescription medications, as well as conditions such as Sjögren’s syndrome. For eye dryness, there are excellent studies on sea buckthorn oil that is taken internally in softgel capsules to reduce dryness of the eye, as well as dryness of the mouth and vagina, or any other dry mucous membrane. There are also clinical studies using sea buckthorn oil for Sjogren’s syndrome, which is a difficult autoimmune disease that causes excessive mucous membrane (especially mouth and eye) dryness. I would suggest taking the dose used in the studies, which is 2000 mg daily. My favorite nutrients for eyesight come from the carotenoid family, which is a group of plant compounds that have many clinical studies for their effect on preserving healthy eye function. I recommend a formula that contains a natural astaxanthin complex with at least 2% astaxanthin, along with other carotenoids like lutein, canthaxanthin and beta carotene, combined with the very potent antioxidant, black currant extract, standardized to more than 25% anthocyanins. This formula is useful for anyone wishing to preserve eye health. You may also want to consider adding curcumin and omega-3 fatty acids to further support your vision, as well as enhance your overall health. Healthy regards! Terry . . . Naturally