The eyes are the windows to the soul, as they say. And yet, we are generally very bad at looking after our eyes these days.
It’s not like we used to be great at it but have forgotten; the problem is that our eyes are exposed to so much potential damage every day that we need to start looking after them more, or we risk accelerating the rate at which our eyesight declines later on in life.
The number of people with minor visual impairments and the number of people that need glasses in the western world is on the increase.
One of the main causes is the amount of blue light that our eyes take in every day.
Blue light is present everywhere, in every screen, so most of us are exposed multiple times a day and for long periods.
This exposure can damage our eyes, particularly the macula and retina as we will discuss shortly.
In this article we offer opinions on some of the best supplements for eye health.
If you are worried about your visual health then consider the options below, but also ensure you are getting enough nutrition in your diet (mainly the key vitamins and minerals) and that you stay relatively fit and healthy.
Of course, we would also recommend regular visits to the optometrist.
One useful tip if you spend long periods of the day looking at a screen for work is to follow the 20-20-20 rule.
So, for every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20 second break and focus on something around 20 feet away.
This will give your eyes regular breaks from the blue light and prevent them from getting strained or fatigued.
Now, on with the list!
Best Vision Support Supplements
1. Performance Lab Vision
Performance Lab are one of the leading producers of natural supplements and are widely regarded for their production quality and comprehensive formulas that mix together proven ingredients and cutting-edge science to create supplements that work in sync with your natural biology.
How does it work?
Performance Lab Vision works to improve the health of your macula, which is the part of your retina responsible for your central vision and how healthy it is will determine how detailed your vision is.
Here we have healthy doses of the most scientifically-proven ingredients that support macular health, but with a few additions that make the main ingredients even more effective whilst also improving other aspects of vision like dark adaption and motion detection.
Lutein (10mg) & Zeaxanthin (2mg)
Two of the biggest hitters when it comes to eye health supplements, lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that counter the harmful effects of blue light which damages your retina and macula.
Prolonged exposure to blue light can create toxic free radicals that degrade the retina.
The Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Performance Lab Vision counteract these free radicals and help to protect against glare, eye strain and poor long-range eyesight.
Performance Lab Vision have chosen to use the FloraGLO® varieties of Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
These are derived from Marigold extract and are generally thought to be the highest quality available. Scientific evidence supports the use of both Lutein and Zeaxanthin for eye health.
European Black Currant Extract (25mg)
Berry extracts are a common ingredient in visual health supplements and the European Black Current is a little purple powerbomb of eye health goodness.
It contains anthocyanins to help sharpen overall vision and support healthy blood flow to the eyes.
These are pigments found in food that could appear purple, red, black or blue.
This extract contains 2.2% cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) which helps the retina to regenerate supplies of rhodopsin, a compound that enables us to see in low light conditions and increases the speed at which signals are sent between the retina and brain.
Imagine being able to see things in fine detail even in the darkest of rooms.
That’s practically a superpower. Batman would kill for that kind of night vision!
European Bilberry Extract (25mg)
Sticking with the European berries for now, the Bilberry provides anthocyanins of a different sort that support the ones from the Black
Currant extract and provide further C3G to make Batman even more jealous.
The supportive anthocyanins in the Bilberry extract also help to make the capillaries around the eyes more flexible and enable more blood to flow to that region.
Saffron (1mg)
You’d be forgiven for thinking that we’ve gotten mixed up with a recipe for a curry here, but no, Saffron does indeed offer some compelling benefits to eye health.
The active ingredients of Saffron are Safranal and Crocin, pigments that protect the macula and enhance motion detection and glare reduction in the retina.
Saffron is also a great antioxidant so it works alongside Lutein and Zeaxanthin to help reduce the damage that blue light causes.
Astaxanthin (1mg)
A little-known antioxidant, Astaxanthin is found in algae.
It helps to increase blood flow to the retina and supports the delivery of the other nutrients in the Performance Lab Vision formula.
Benefits
- Highest quality ingredients.
- Supports every aspect of eye health.
- FloraGLO® Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
- Most effective at improving vision.
- Performance Lab products are GMO-free, allergen-free, soy and gluten-free, and are suitable for vegans.
2. Vimerson Health Vision Support
Vimerson Health Vision Support is a great supplement to support eye health and overall wellness.
How does it work?
Vimerson use a proprietary blend in their Vision Support supplement, so it’s not clear how much of each ingredient the daily supply contains.
The total amount of this blend provided per daily serving of two caps is 505mg, so it’s probably a safe bet that you’re getting the required amounts of everything, but it would be nice to know the exact quantities.
Nevertheless, the list of ingredients in the proprietary blend is below;
Eyebright Extract
Eyebright is a plant that is used to make medicines for a range of conditions including colds and allergies.
It is an anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial properties. It is not directly linked to eye health.
Bilberry Extract
A familiar ingredient that is also found in Performance Lab Vision, Bilberry Extract provides anthocyanins including C3G to improve dark adaption and signaling speed between the retina and brain.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
An antioxidant that occurs naturally in in everyday vegetables like potatoes and broccoli, Alpha-Lipoic Acid has a number of health benefits but none relating specifically to eye health.
L-Taurine
As well as offering some benefits to broader health, recent findings have shown taurine to be possibly effective at treating macular degeneration in elderly patients, so it could ensure your eyes stay healthy for longer and could have other benefits for eye health as well.
Quercetin
Another naturally-occurring pigment, Quercetin is found in apples, green tea and red wine.
It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties though the potential benefits have not been widely researched just yet.
Rutin
Found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables, the plant pigment Rutin is thought to strengthen the blood vessels and could promote healthy blood flow around the body, including to the eyes.
Grape Seed Extract
A great source of antioxidants and anthocyanins, Grape Seed Extract (or GSE for short) is a superb addition to the formula for Vision Support.
Its benefits to overall health are widely researched and of particular interest here its ability to improve blood flow and reduce oxidative stress, which could help reduce and repair macular damage.
Lutein
It had to be in there somewhere! Good old Lutein, no vision supplement would be complete without it.
Lutein, as we have seen, helps protect against the damage caused to the macula by blue light and preserves sharpness of vision.
N-Acetyl Cysteine
Known as NAC for short, this compound is derived from the amino acid L-Cysteine and has many medicinal properties, far too many to list here, but until recently was not thought to offer any benefits to visual health.
Studies conducted over the last couple of years though have linked NAC to reductions in the rate of decline in retinal functioning, so it could help your eyes stay healthier for longer.
More research is needed, but it is likely that NAC has other potential benefits to eye health.
Lycopene
Another natural pigment with antioxidant properties, Lycopene is mainly found in tomatoes.
Like many natural pigments, it has been linked to some general health benefits but also specifically to a reduction in the rate of macular degeneration.
Zeaxanthin
Alongside Lutein, Zeaxanthin is thought to prevent damage from blue light and protect against macular degeneration.
It is a yellow pigment found in paprika, corn and saffron.
Other Non-Proprietary Ingredients
You also receive a welcome boost in a number of key vitamins and minerals from Vision Support.
Among the vitamins it provides are A, C, E and some of the B vitamins.
There is also a healthy volume of minerals including Magnesium, Zinc, Copper and Chromium to name a few.
Whilst these are not directly linked to eye health, it does make Vimerson Health’s product more versatile and attractive to anyone looking for a supplement to support general health and wellbeing.
Benefits
- Supports good visual health.
- Helps to reduce macular degeneration.
- Excellent general health benefits.
- Includes some unusual but beneficial ingredients not found elsewhere, such as NAC and Taurine.
- Good value for money.
3. Zenwise Health Lutein with Zeaxanthin
Zenwise Health Lutein with Zeaxanthin is a no-nonsense visual health supplement that offers a bare bones formula and excellent value for money.
How does it work?
There are no points on offer for guessing the ingredients of Zenwise Health Lutein with Zeaxanthin.
They are Lutein and Zeaxanthin.
As well as being by far and away the most popular choices for people looking for a supplement to help their vision, Lutein and Zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that offer many other health benefits.
As we have discussed already, their main function is to reduce macular degeneration and fight the effects of harmful blue light.
Benefits
- Price, obviously. You can’t beat this for value for money.
- Contains the top two eye health ingredients.
- Soft gels may be easier to swallow than capsules.
Summary
The best option for you will depend on what exactly you’re looking for (no pun intended).
Performance Lab Vision is in a class of its own when it comes to quality, as well as the ability to improve your vision, rather than simply enable it to get worse more slowly than it otherwise would.
The cost may be prohibitive for some, but if you really want to improve your vision and ensure your eyes remain as healthy as possible, it is well worth the investment in Performance Lab Vision.
Vimerson Health Vision Support is a worthy second place, particularly when you consider the sheer number of ingredients and wide-ranging benefits to overall health that it offers.
We would love to know how that proprietary blend breaks down, but we can live with the excellent value and exhaustive ingredients list instead.
Zenwise Health Lutein with Zeaxanthin is the best option for smaller budgets.
You just cannot argue with paying less than $4 (or the equivalent in EUR or GBP) per month for this stuff, it is absolutely outstanding value as long as these are the only ingredients you are interested in.
Our overall recommendation would be to pick up Performance Lab Vision, but all three are worthy of your consideration and suited to different individual needs and budget.
Our eyes have never taken as much daily punishment as we expose them to today, so any investment to preserve their health is 100% worth it.