Dry Eye Nutrition
by
Michael P. Lange OD, CNS November 26, 2011
Dry eye relief is possible with the correct form of dry eye nutrition
Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common conditions a person will develop in their life time. Everyone at some time in their life will experience dry eye symptoms. Eyes that feel sandy, gritty, burn, tear, itch are all symptoms of dry eyes. Some other symptoms of dry eyes are fluctuation in vision, recurrent infections, glare, halos around lights, contact lens intolerance and pain. Dry eyes can often times go undetected or be wrongly diagnosed. Dry eye relief can be traditionally obtained with artificial tears, antibiotics orally and topically, steroid eye drops, punctal occlusion, warm compresses, lid hygiene as well as certain other modalities at unclogging the meibomian glands like meibomian gland probing and IPL therapy.
Dry eye nutrition is an area that is being extensively researched and gaining a strong foothold in optometrists and ophthalmologists offices all over the world. Dry eye nutrition is a natural approach to treating dry eyes that not only will improve dry eye conditions but could also have some other health benefits.
The typical American diet is a pro inflammatory diet. This traditional American diet is one of the root causes of systemic diseases as well as certain eye conditions like dry eye syndrome. The typical American diet needs to be overhauled in order to improve the health of the entire country. Each individual can effect their own personal health by becoming aware of the benefits of proper nutrition. I have seen the power of proper nutrition in regards to overall health improvements in my patients as well as improved ocular health.
I try to impress upon patients the importance of a Mediterranean diet or a Paleo type of diet. Basically consuming 10-13 servings of organically grown fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, eating good organically derived proteins with a heavy emphasis on certain fish, turkey, chicken and less red meat, consuming nuts and seeds and drinking plenty of filtered water. I also recommend patients to try to stay away from processed, fast, GMO foods. I recommend patients drinking half their body weight in filtered water on a daily basis and try to get thirty minutes of cardio exercise 5 times a week and 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Through proper diet, exercise, sleep and certain lifestyle modifications many patients will improve dramatically in all areas of their health including dry eyes.
There are three specific nutrients I like to add to my patient's diet that are experiencing dry eyes. The three nutrients I have found to be invaluable for a good dry eye nutrition regiment are Omega three fatty acids, Astaxanthin and Gamma Lenoleic Acid. The ratios and amounts are also very important when consuming these nutrients. I have been studying these nutrients for many years with 1000's of patients with very positive results. Dry eye nutrition not only may improve dry eye syndrome but many of our patients will also notice less pain in their joints and much healthier skin with less wrinkles.
I like to initially put patients on an omega three supplement I developed called Fortifeye Super Omega, this is a triglyceride form omega-3 supplement with an EPA of 860 and a DHA of 580 in two gel caps. Omega three blood studies have proven that a two per day dosing of this form of omega three fish oil will move the omega index over 9% in close to 100% of the patients studied that weighed less than 250 pounds. When taking an omega three supplement you want to get your omega index over 8% to get the valuable health benefits of omega 3. There are very few omega-3 supplements that can claim a 9% omega index with just two pills. If you are over 250 lbs in weight then you may need to take three or four of this particular fish oil supplement to get to these healthful levels.
I have also found that the addition of 6 mg of astaxanthin will improve the symptoms of dry tired eyes. Astaxanthin is a super carotenoid that gives the reddish color to Wild Salmon and is derived from a specific Algae. Astaxanthin has been studied extensively for its ability to improve accommodation ( focusing) in the visual system. Astaxanthin is also linked to improvement in muscle endurance and reduction in muscle fatigue. Astaxanthin is a potent anti inflammatory as well as being one of the most potent antioxidants available. Many studies also indicate astaxanthin will minimize fine lines and wrinkles in the face, lower cholesterol and block much of the harmful UV light to the skin. Astaxanthin works synergistically together with fish oil and makes it a perfect choice for patients with dry eyes. Fortifeye Vitamins has a product called Fortifeye Focus that has 6mg of astaxanthin as well as some lutein and zeaxanthin. Wild Alaskan salmon is a perfect food to consume more of especially if you are a dry eye patient do to its omega three and astaxanthin content
Lastly, I recommend taking GLA, Gamma Linoleic Acid derived from Black Currant Seed oil. GLA stimulates series one prostaglandin (PGE 1) that acts as an anti inflammatory and may aid in tear production. However too much GLA may actually cause inflammations so the ratio is very important when combining GLA with Omega 3 oils. I have been very impressed with a 10-1 ratio of omega three to GLA. I recommend usually about 1600 mg of omega-3 from a triglyceride form fish oil that has an EPA of 850-900 and a DHA of 550-600 (Fortifeye Super Omega) combined with a GLA supplement that has 140-160 mg of GLA from Black currant seed oil. I have had exceptional results using this ratio of omega-3 fish oil to GLA when combined with 6 mg of astaxanthin. Many patients will start to notice an improvement the first month, however it usually takes three to four months to gain the maximum dry eye relief effect.
Dry eye nutrition is an area that is being taught in schools and in continuing education classes now and hopefully many more doctors will start to utilize proper nutrition for dry eye. Dry eye syndrome can be a serious problem and can effect the quality of life of an individual suffering from this condition. Dry eye nutrition should be used in conjunction with your therapy prescribed by your optometrist or ophthalmologist. I urge patients to discuss the nutritional information in this article with their doctors.
Michael P Lange OD, CNS
www.drmichaellange.com
www.fortifeye.com
Dr. Michael P. Lange is a Board Certified Optometric Physician and a Certified Nutrition Specialist who started Lange Eye Care and Associates in Ocala, Florida, in March 1993. Lange Eye Care has grown to nine locations throughout the state of Florida with three LASIK centers The Lange Eye Institute at The Villages in central Florida is home base for many of the nutritional studies that Fortifeye is involved in. Dr. Lange is one of the first doctors in the industry to utilize intracellular blood tests, blood absorption and omega index studies to improve the Fortifeye vitamin line. Dr. Lange travels the world for nutritional research gathering valuable information to continuously improve Fortifeye vitamin formulations, and is actively involved in the clinical practice of eyecare. He is a guest lecturer, contributing author to many eyecare magazines, and a syndicated talk show host of ‘Ask The Doctor’ which broadcasts on radio stations throughout the country and video streaming all over the world via the Internet.