After years of supervising patients who take vision pills and trying various herbs and nutrients myself, I am now aware of many that have a positive effect on vision. Unfortunately, very little information has been published regarding the influence of different nutrients and herbs on vision. Hence, some of the information on this page is anecdotal, based on my professional and personal experience.

Improve Vision Naturally
I am glad to report that the proper use of many nutrients can help restore, at least partially, the magic of seeing that some of you may have long forgotten existed. After you try Eyesight Rx or some of the other vision supplements listed below, you may even take a vision test on a Snellen chart to see if your vision is better. Some people use Eyesight Rx for blurry vision or night vision.

Eyesight Rx for Low Vision
Supports Vision Health
Developed by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Unlike some vision products that provide nutrients and herbs for long term healthy vision support, and prevention of visual impairment, but don't seem to have much of an immediate effect on visual acuity, Eyesight Rx was formulated to provide a noticeable vision improvement within days of use.

Reports from Eyesight Rx users indicate enhanced clarity of vision, colors being brighter, better focus, and overall improvement in close and distance vision. We've had reports of some people noticing vision improvement within a few hours while most users notice the benefit of better vision within a few days or a couple of weeks.

Supplement Facts:
Vitamin C  (Ascorbic acid)
Citrus bioflavonoids (eriocitrin, hesperidin, flavonols, flavones, flavonoids, naringenin, and quercetin)
Mixed carotenoids (astaxanthin, beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, Lutein, Lycopene, Zeaxanthin)
Bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Eyebright extract (Euphrasia officianales)
Jujube extract (Zizyphus jujube)
Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba)
Suma extract (Pfaffia paniculata)
Mucuna pruriens extract (Cowhage)
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Lycium berry extract (Lycium Barbarum)
Sarsaparila (Sarsaparilla Smilax)
Alpha Lipoic Acid is a strong antioxidant

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Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter  Twice a month you will receive an email with a review of several new studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including eye vision enhancement, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Supplements that Improve Vision
The lens, retina, macula, and other parts of the eye involved in vision can be protected with the proper intake of antioxidants. Almost all the antioxidants likely have a positive influence on eye health. At this point, we don't know exactly what amounts and combinations of antioxidants will ensure optimal protection. However I have provided some suggestions. The following are of particular importance:

Vitamin C -- helps with long term healthy vision support
Vitamin E -- helps with long term healthy vision support
R- Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that enhances glucose use in brain and eye cells. Usually a dose of 10 to 50 mg of R-Alpha lipoic acid can have a positive influence on vision.

Substances in Fruits and Vegetables that help improve Vision
There are thousands of beneficial substances in fruits and vegetables that could be helpful. The two major categories are carotenoids and flavonoids.

Pantothenic Acid is one of the B vitamins. A dose of 100 to 500 mg taken in the morning improves clarity of vision, usually noticeable in the late afternoon and continuing until bedtime. As with many nutrients that cause alertness, high dosages, even when taken in the morning, can interfere with nighttime sleep. Pantethene, the coenzymated form of pantothenic acid, produces similar visual improvement on a much lower dosage of 25 to 50 mg.

NADH—In August of 1998, I took a trip to Alaska. During my three-week sojourn in this beautiful state, I had the opportunity to try some of the nutrients I had brought along. On my second day of the trip, I was in a van with a group driving down from Anchorage to Homer. All around me were majestic snowcapped peaks and lush, green meadows dotted with spruce trees. The day was overcast and windy as we pulled up to a scenic point. The wind was creating small ripples over the dark blue waters of the Cook Inlet. I had taken 5 mg of NADH, the coenzyme form of the B vitamin niacin, before breakfast and now, two hours later, the effects were becoming apparent. Not only did I have a pleasant sense of well-being, but also the beauty of this Alaskan scenery was coming to life. I realized at that moment how fortunate we are to have access to many natural supplements that not only improve health, but also enhance our appreciation of life and the natural beauty of this planet. I became even more encouraged to continue my quest to learn as much as I could about nutrients that improve quality of life and to share this knowledge with the public.
     I'm not sure exactly how NADH enhances vision. It likely has to do with raising levels of the brain chemical dopamine since, in my experience, dopamine-enhancing nutrients and medicines improve visual perception. Any supplement or drug that enhances dopamine levels can improve vision, at least temporarily.

CDP-Choline enhances acetylcholine production, but may also influence dopamine levels. The visual clarity is apparent within a few hours after taking 250 or 500 mg.

TMG, DMG, DMAE, and SAM-e are methyl donors that have similar effects of sharpening vision, most likely due to an increase in levels of brain chemicals. DMG is available in sublingual form and the visual effects are apparent within an hour of melting a pill under the tongue.

Video games and vision
A study by the University of Rochester showed that people who played action video games for a few hours a day over the course of a month improved their vision by about 20 percent."Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information," said Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences, and added, "These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it. That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life."Graduate student were given an eye test similar to the one used at regular eye clinics and then divided into two groups -- one played shoot-em-up action games for an hour a day while the control group played a less visually complex game. Their vision was tested after the study, with those who played the action game scoring better in the eye test. The researchers said their findings could help patients with several types of vision problems.

Vision Research Update
Genentech Inc. said its experimental drug Lucentis, used to treat the leading cause of blindness in older adults, was shown to significantly improve vision in an ongoing late-stage trial. Preliminary trial results also show that Lucentis met the primary goal of stabilizing vision in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, which afflicts an estimated 1.2 million Americans, mostly over the age of 50. The South San Francisco, California-based company said about 95 percent of patients given monthly eye injections of Lucentis maintained or improved their vision after a year, compared with 62 percent of patients in the study's control arm. Genentech said patients treated with Lucentis had, on average, a significant improvement in vision compared to the beginning of the study, while patients in the control group had, on average, substantial deterioration. By contrast, existing treatments such as Macugen sold by Pfizer Inc. and Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Visudyne sold by QLT Inc. and Novartis have been able to improve vision in only a relatively small percentage of patients.
   Dr. Sahelian says: Why get eye injections when Eyesight Rx and other supplements improve vision naturally.

An ideal ocular nutritional supplement?
Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2004 Jul;24(4):339-49.
The role of nutritional supplementation in prevention of onset or progression of ocular disease is of interest to health care professionals and patients. The aim of this review is to identify those antioxidants most appropriate for inclusion in an ideal ocular nutritional supplement, suitable for those with a family history of glaucoma, cataract, or age-related macular disease, or lifestyle factors predisposing onset of these conditions, such as smoking, poor nutritional status, or high levels of sunlight exposure. It would also be suitable for those with early stages of age-related ocular disease. Literature searches were carried out on Web of Science and PubMed for articles relating to the use of nutrients in ocular disease. Those highlighted for possible inclusion were vitamins A, B, C and E, carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, minerals selenium and zinc, and the herb, Ginkgo biloba. Conflicting evidence is presented for vitamins A and E in prevention of ocular disease; these vitamins have roles in the production of rhodopsin and prevention of lipid peroxidation respectively. B vitamins have been linked with a reduced risk of cataract and studies have provided evidence supporting a protective role of vitamin C in cataract prevention. Beta-carotene is active in the prevention of free radical formation, but has been linked with an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers. Improvements in visual function in patients with age-related macular disease have been noted with lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation. Selenium has been linked with a reduced risk of cataract and activates the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage while zinc, although an essential component of antioxidant enzymes, has been highlighted for risk of adverse effects. As well as reducing platelet aggregation and increasing vasodilation, Gingko biloba has been linked with improvements in pre-existing field damage in some patients with normal tension glaucoma. We advocate that vitamins C and E, and lutein / zeaxanthin should be included in our theoretically ideal ocular nutritional supplement.

A gene basic to the development of the eye may also hold the key to myopia and Vision. Findings reinforce the still-debated idea that some children are born susceptible to being nearsighted, and that too much reading or close work can encourage its development. The gene, called PAX6, may be involved in the growth of the eye, the researchers at St. Thomas' Hospital in London said. Myopia, also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is caused when the eyeball grows too long. "It may well be that too much close work may be bad for Vision, particularly if you have a susceptibility," said Dr. Chris Hammond, who helped lead the study. "We know ... that what makes one person shortsighted and another person longsighted is a genetic difference between them rather than any difference in environment. But we also know environmental effects are powerful and close work is the culprit."

Antioxidants and Vision -- The January, 2003 issue of the medical journal Ophthalmology reports that antioxidants are helpful in improving Vision in those with macular degeneration. The macula is a small area of the retina that has the sharpest vision. With age, the macula degenerates leading to poor Vision. Thirty patients with early macular degeneration were divided into two groups, antioxidant group (A) and no treatment group (NT). Patients in the A group were given lutein, 15 mg; vitamin E, 20 mg; and nicotinamide, 18 mg, daily for 180 days, whereas NT patients had no dietary supplementation during the same period. In all patients and normal subjects, retinal assessment was performed at the start of the study and after 180 days. When evaluated at 180 days, the macula had improved in those taking the antioxidants while the NT group did not have any changes. The results suggest that increasing the level of retinal antioxidants influences macular function early in the disease process, as well as in normal aging.
   Dr. Sahelian says: There are so many antioxidants to choose from for enhanced Vision, including night vision, that it is difficult to recommend a specific combination that would apply to everyone. Supplements of lutein, vitamins C and E, and lipoic acid should be on the top of the list for Vision improvement, along with, of course, plenty of organic fruits and vegetables.

An ideal ocular nutritional supplement?*.
Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2004 Jul;24(4):339-49.
Abstract The role of nutritional supplementation in prevention of onset or progression of ocular disease is of interest to health care professionals and patients. The aim of this review is to identify those antioxidants most appropriate for inclusion in an ideal ocular nutritional supplement, suitable for those with a family history of glaucoma, cataract, or age-related macular disease, or lifestyle factors predisposing onset of these conditions, such as smoking, poor nutritional status, or high levels of sunlight exposure. It would also be suitable for those with early stages of age-related ocular disease. Literature searches were carried out on Web of Science and PubMed for articles relating to the use of nutrients in ocular disease. Those highlighted for possible inclusion were vitamins A, B, C and E, carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, minerals selenium and zinc, and the herb, Ginkgo biloba. Conflicting evidence is presented for vitamins A and E in prevention of ocular disease; these vitamins have roles in the production of rhodopsin and prevention of lipid peroxidation respectively. B vitamins have been linked with a reduced risk of cataract and studies have provided evidence supporting a protective role of vitamin C in cataract prevention. Beta-carotene is active in the prevention of free radical formation, but has been linked with an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers. Improvements in visual function in patients with age-related macular disease have been noted with lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation. Selenium has been linked with a reduced risk of cataract and activates the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase, protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage while zinc, although an essential component of antioxidant enzymes, has been highlighted for risk of adverse effects. As well as reducing platelet aggregation and increasing vasodilation, Gingko biloba has been linked with improvements in pre-existing field damage in some patients with normal tension glaucoma. We advocate that vitamins C and E, and lutein/zeaxanthin should be included in our theoretically ideal ocular nutritional supplement. world vision and vision quest.

Chemistry, distribution, and metabolism of tomato carotenoids and their impact on human health and vision.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2002 Nov;227(10):845-51.
Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that the consumption of tomatoes and tomato-based food products reduce the risk of prostate cancer in humans. This protective effect has been attributed to carotenoids, which are one of the major classes of phytochemicals in this fruit. The most abundant carotenoid in tomato is lycopene, followed by phytoene, phytofluene, zeta-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-carotene, neurosporene, and lutein. Detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of human serum, milk, and organs, particularly prostate, have revealed the presence of all the aforementioned carotenoids in biologically significant concentrations. Two oxidative metabolites of lycopene, 2,6-cyclolycopene-1,5-diols A and B, which are only present in tomatoes in extremely low concentrations, have been isolated and identified in human serum, milk, organs (liver, lung, breast, liver, prostate, colon) and skin. Carotenoids may also play an important role in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other blinding disorders. Among 25 dietary carotenoids and nine metabolites routinely found in human serum, mainly (3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein, (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, lycopene, and their metabolites were detected in ocular tissues. In this review we identified and quantified the complete spectrum of carotenoids from pooled human retinal pigment epithelium, ciliary body, iris, lens, and in the uveal tract and in other tissues of the human eye to gain a better insight into the metabolic pathways of ocular carotenoids. Although (3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein, (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, and their metabolites constitute the major carotenoids in human ocular tissues, lycopene and a wide range of dietary carotenoids have been detected in high concentrations in ciliary body and retinal pigment epithelium. The possible role of lycopene and other dietary carotenoids in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration, vision, and other eye diseases is discussed.

Anthocyanosides of Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) for night vision--a systematic review of placebo-controlled trials.
Surv Ophthalmol. 2004 Jan-Feb;49(1):38-50.
We have systematically reviewed placebo-controlled trials of bilberry -extracted anthocyanosides for evidence of positive effects on night vision. Searches of computerized databases and citations in retrieved articles identified 30 trials with outcome measures relevant to vision in reduced light. Of these, 12 were placebo-controlled. The 4 most recent trials were all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and were negative in outcome. A fifth RCT and 7 non-randomized controlled trials reported positive effects on outcome measures relevant to night vision. Negative outcome was associated with more rigorous methodology but also with lower dose level and extracts from geographically distinct sources that may differ in anthocyanoside composition. Healthy subjects with normal or above average eyesight were tested in 11 of the 12 trials. The hypothesis that V. myrtillus anthocyanosides improves normal night vision is not supported by evidence from rigorous clinical studies. There is a complete absence of rigorous research into the effects of the extract on subjects suffering impaired night vision due to pathological eye conditions. Evidence from methodologically weaker trials and auxiliary evidence from animal studies, trials of synthetic anthocyanosides, and a recent randomized controlled trial of Ribes nigrum (black currant) anthocyanosides may warrant further trials of V. myrtillus anthocyanosides in subjects with impaired night vision.

Ginkgo Biloba Improves Blood Flow to the Eyes ... and Vision
Individuals with diabetes mellitus have problems with circulation and increased clotting tendencies, particularly in small blood vessels. This can sometimes lead to poor vision due to small clots that form in the retina of the eye. In a recent study done in Taiwan, ginkgo biloba was given to type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with poor vision and eye problems (retinopathy). After taking ginkgo biloba orally for 3 months, the tendency for blood to clot was significantly reduced, red blood cells became more flexible, and blood flow to the retina of the eye was increased. When red blood cells become more flexible, they are able to squeeze through and maneuver easier through tiny blood vessels called capillaries and thus bring more oxygen to tissues and cells.
   My comments: It's difficult to know how much ginkgo biloba to take for better vision, but it appears that 40 mg daily is a good option. If you are taking aspirin or other blood thinners, consult with your doctor to make sure you are not thinning your blood too much. Ginkgo biloba is best taken in the morning or midday. Sometimes it can cause shallow sleep if taken late in the evening.

Vision supplements and how to improve vision emails
Q. Have you heard of any supplements or Rx meds that improve myopia?
   A. We are not aware of any supplements that cure myopia but some nutrients such as fish oils can help. Eyesight Rx has herbs and nutrients that may help.

Q. Are Anthocyanosides in bilberry and black current helpful for vision?
   A. Yes, anthocyanosides appear to be helpful.

Q. I have seen your website and get many information with list of medicine for development of vision. I am facing problems for poor vision of my eye and I wear a high power glass. my power is -2.25 (compound glass).  So I want to know how can I develop my vision without wearing high power glass. So please advise me. My present age is 35 years. Is it possible to develop my vision sight by taking natural medicine?
   A. Some people find improved vision taking a product called Eyesight Rx. Others prefer using lutein or bilberry by itself.

Q. Thanks for the newsletters and the Eyesight vision Rx formula. I have been doing natural vision training for years now with great results (-4.25 in both eyes in 2001 was only about -2.5 last check up in both two years ago - much of that is thankful to spending more time out on the sun, even looking into the sun with naked eye for short periods) The vision formula has quickly given hightened visual ability, i found only that i got headaches easy, probably because of the ginkgo content of it. So i cut the dose lower.

Vision and mental decline
Impaired near-range vision may speed older adults' rate of mental decline as they age. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston found that among more than 2,000 elderly Mexican Americans, those with significant impairments in their near vision tended to show a steeper decline in mental functioning over 7 years. Poor close-range vision may limit older adults' activities -- including mental "exercises" like reading and crossword puzzles. Plus, visual stimulation to the brain may affect the workings of nerve cells. The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, included 2140 Mexican-American adults age 65 and older who were periodically given standard tests of mental function over 7 years. At the outset, the men and women were screened for impairments in their corrected vision; for the test of near vision, they were asked to read numbers from a card while wearing their glasses or contact lenses. Overall, 14 percent of study participants had impaired near-range vision, while 7 percent had problems with both near and distance vision. On average, the researchers found, these adults showed a quicker rate of decline on mental functioning tests over the next 7 years compared with their peers. There was no association, however, between mental decline and impairments in either distance vision or hearing. For reasons that are unclear, Mexican Americans seem to have a higher rate of age-related cognitive impairment than non-Hispanic older Americans. If poor vision is one factor, it will be particularly important to identify and treat the underlying causes of visual impairment in Mexican-American adults. It is not clear, the researchers note, whether treatments for low vision could have slowed the mental decline seen in some adults. SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, April 2005.