Is Vitamin A good for dry eye syndrome?
Is Vitamin A good for dry eye syndrome?
What to do for dry eyes? An HSI member named Karolyn writes
“I have been using cod liver oil capsules for over 2 years now to help with dry-eye. I read that it could be caused by a lack of vitamin A, so that was my solution. It works beautifully for me!”
According to some sources (such as the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center), a vitamin A deficiency that’s extreme enough to dry the eyes is most common in poorer countries and fairly uncommon in countries where a wide range of foods is available.
So while it’s possible that the vitamin A in Karolyn’s cod liver oil may be helpful, it’s more likely that the omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) in the oil are helping to maintain the lipid layer on the ocular surface.
In a 2005 study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, dietary intake was assessed for more than 32,000 women between the ages of 45 and 84. About 1,500 of the subjects had been diagnosed with dry eye syndrome (DES).
Analysis of the data showed that women who had the lowest intake of omega-3 fatty acids were 20 percent more likely to develop DES compared to women with the highest intake. Women who ate five or more tuna servings per week reduced DES risk by more than 65 percent compared to women who had only one serving of tuna per week.
Sources:
“Dry Eye Syndrome” The University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Kellogg.umich.edu
“Relation Between Dietary n-3 and n-6 Fatty Acids and Clinically Diagnosed Dry Eye Syndrome in Women” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 82, No. 4, October 2005, ajcn.org
