How to Improve Vision with natural supplements, vitamins, herbs

Vision improvement with dietary pills, improve naturally by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Little known Secrets on how to improve Vision with Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements
October 26 2016

Do you remember how sharp, and beautiful scenery and objects looked years ago? Do you now find that some of the enchantment from looking has faded? As we age, our vision weakens. This is due to a number of factors, including, in part, to degeneration of nerve cells in the eyes. A castle in Europe, a swan floating on a still pond, a delicate daisy, or rugged mountain scenery may not impress us as much. We lose our ability to notice fine details and differentiate subtle shades of colors or texture. Has this enchantment disappeared forever, or are there ways to return the visual magic that life offers? Can certain vision problems be halted or reversed?

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 without medication with diet and supplements
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 improving poor Vision

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.

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Supplement Facts, ingredients in the formula:
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
Citrus bioflavonoids (eriocitrin, hesperidin, flavonols, flavones, flavonoids, naringenin, and quercetin)
Mixed carotenoids including astaxanthin, beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, Lutein, Lycopene, and Zeaxanthin.
Bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
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)
Carnosine antioxidant
Alpha Lipoic acid is a strong antioxidant

Supplements that Improve Vision naturally
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.

Mol Cell Biochem. March 2014. Antioxidants and vision health: facts and fiction. A number of nutritional supplements containing antioxidants are advertised for better vision health. Do they benefit the average consumer? The literature was examined for the effectiveness of antioxidants for human eye health, and for the intricacies in collection of such evidence. The following diseases were considered: cataract, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, eye infections, and uveitis. The literature indicates that antioxidant supplements plus lutein have a reasonable probability of retarding AMD. For glaucoma, such supplements were ineffectual in some studies but useful in others. In some studies, antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables were also useful for protection against glaucoma. For diabetic retinopathy, antioxidant supplements may have a small benefit, if any, but only as an adjunct to glycemic control. In very high-risk premature retinopathy and retinitis pigmentosa, antioxidant supplements may be beneficial but those with excess Vitamin E should be avoided. For cataract, there is no evidence for an advantage of such nutritional supplements. However, lubricant drops containing N-acetylcarnosine may be helpful in initial stages of the disease. For eye infections and other causes of uveitis, antioxidants have not been found useful. We recommend that a diet high in antioxidant rich foods should be developed as a habit from an early age. However, when initial signs of vision health deterioration are observed, the appropriate nutritional supplement products may be recommended but only to augment the primary medical treatments.

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.

Carotenoids are found in fruits and vegetables. Of the many carotenoids circulating in human bloodstream, only lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene are accumulated to any significant degree throughout the tissues of the eye. Good vision depends on more that just eating carrots since carrots contain mostly beta carotene.
   Astaxanthin vision enhancer is becoming more popular.
   Lutein is a carotenoid which has become popular as a dietary supplement either by itself, or combined with zeaxanthin.
   Zeaxanthin and lutien play important roles in protecting eye tissue in the macula from damage by free radicals. Corn, eggs, green leafy vegetables, peppers, red grapes and pumpkins are some of the foods rich in lutein and zeazanthin.
   Lycopene is found mostly in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots, papaya, and guava.

Flavonoids are found in many fruits and vegetables, and in many herbs, including Bilberry, Eyebright, and Ginkgo biloba. Flavonoids help support healthy vision. Citrus bioflavonoids are flavonoids found in citrus fruits.

Herbs that Improve Vision
In addition to the above herbs, there are countless others with compounds that have an influence on blurred vision or general vision health support. For instance anthocyanosides in bilberry and black currant are helpful.

Ginkgo Biloba Improves blood flow to the Eyes
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.

Additional Supplements that Support Healthy Vision or improve vision
Please keep in mind that there are a number of eye disorders, and if you happen to have a serious problem with vision you should visit your doctor.
The following is a list of supplements that improve vision. You are likely to notice the effects the very day you take them, and sometimes even within an hour or two. Generally, the higher the dose, the more obvious the visual improvement; but the risk for side effects would also increase as the dosage is increased. The mechanism of action of these supplements can involve several pathways, such as raising levels of brain chemicals, improving circulation to the eye, or altering the fatty acid composition of rods, cones, and brain cells. I often find that visual changes are not as apparent when one is in broad sunlight. Going indoors—for instance in a shopping mall—can help one become more aware of the visual enhancement. Late afternoon, early evening, and cloudy days, are also good times to notice the visual changes. I will list the most popular ones:

Fish Oils Just like the rest of the cells in the brain, the cells of the retina — the rods and the cones — contain long-chained fatty acids. The most prominent of these fatty acids in the eye is an omega-3 fatty acid called DHA. In my experience, I have found that the omega-3 oils, generally found in fish and flaxseed, enhance visual perception. I notice improved color perception and depth of vision, enhanced night and distance vision, and overall enhancement in visual awareness after several days of taking flaxseed oil or fish oil capsules. In order to notice quicker results, i.e, within two or three days, the dosages need to be significant. For instance, most people need to take several grams of a combination EPA/DHA fish oil supplement or a tablespoon or two of flaxseed oil. Once you notice an improvement, you can reduce your dosage of fish oils to one or two grams a day, or a teaspoon of flaxseed oil.

Acetyl-l-carnitine is an antioxidant involved in energy utilization within cells. A dose of 200 to 500 mg in the morning before breakfast works within two to three hours to induce a pleasant visual and mental clarity.

Vinpocetine is an herbal extract that improves blood circulation to the brain. A dose of 5 to 10 mg often leads to visual clarity within one or two hours.

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.

Vision and diet, food selection, what we eat makes a difference
Most everything that you do to improve your overall health will, in the long run, influence the health of your eyes. For optimal vision protection, I recommend you include a variety of whole foods in your diet and take antioxidants. Eating fish frequently is associated with decreased chances of developing age-related vision degeneration, while smoking nearly doubles the risk for vision loss and hormone therapy appears to have no effect. Many of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis or blocked arteries, may contribute to the development of age related vision loss, possibly by affecting blood flow to the eye.

Stress, sleep
Regular Yoga practice improves vision and helps you see clearer and sharper. I'm not sure why, but it works! I've experienced it. Perhaps it partly has to do with improved nerve function or relaxation of eye muscles, or just a lowering of overall stress. Exercise can help you relax and improve your sleeping patterns which can help with vision.
Also, if you spend many hours in front of a computer, try to take frequent breaks.

Computer vision syndrome
People who spend hours staring at a computer screen risk may have tired dry eyes, blurred vision, eye strain, headache, and sensitivity to light. Some people call this "computer vision syndrome."

Sun exposure
Protect your eyes by wearing a wide brim hat when you are in bright sunlight and use UV filtering glasses.

Vision and Pregnancy
Infants whose mothers regularly drank during pregnancy show poor vision by the age of 6 months.

Vision Research

An ideal ocular nutritional supplement?
Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2004.
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.

Chemistry, distribution, and metabolism of tomato carotenoids and their impact on human health and vision.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2002.
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 lutein, 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.

Vision supplements and how to improve, 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. 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.

I am a sixty-three year old woman who had a branch retinal vein occlusio. After seeing a chiropractor for seven months, my blood pressure is good and I am currently having Graston treatments for scar tissue in my neck.

Vision and mental decline
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, 2005.