6 Vitamins You Need Enough Of To Support Eye Health & Function

The first flowers blooming in spring, your favorite color, your partner smiling when they look at you—so many of life’s great joys are based on these simple moments of sight. Thanks to our eyes, we’re able to appreciate so much of the world. But at the same time, I know I (and many others) push the ability of my eyes to the max by staring at screens and not taking proper care of them.

Even now, as I write about eye health, I’m sitting behind a screen I’ve been staring at all day with my eyes supported by glasses that have helped me see since eighth grade. And of course, you’re reading this on a similar screen—and quite possibly, after a similarly screen-filled day.

What are we doing to our eyes? How can we help ease their stress of daily digital strain? And what can we do today to make sure we continue to experience simple and joyful sights in the future?

Eyes need special attention, but they can also benefit from all of the nutrients you already know are good for your body. As optometrist Jeffrey Anshel, O.D. tells us, “what’s good for the body is good for the eye.” 

Carotenoids are the bright pigments found in a variety of plants, fungi, algae, and bacteria. There are over 650 types1 throughout the natural world, and about 100 of them exist in our diet. 

The body cannot produce carotenoids, so they must be obtained through our diets. You can see them in action in many of the plants already on your plate—including leafy greens, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, corn, kiwi, and grapes.

There are two main types of carotenoids: carotenes and xanthophylls. Xanthophylls contain oxygen; carotenes do not. The most important carotenoids in the context of eye health are xanthophylls—specifically, lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin. 

Lutein & zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are highly concentrated in the macula lutea, a yellow-colored area in the optical center of the retina. These macular carotenoids act as internal sunglasses and filter out blue light.* Plus, their antioxidant properties counteract oxidative stress this area is susceptible to, given the daily hard work of the eye, explains optometrist Neda Gioia O.D., CNS, FOWNS.* 

Lutein and zeaxanthin also contribute to night vision and clarity, Gioia adds.* Other research points to lutein’s ability to boost visual acuity2 and contrast sensitivity3.* 

Astaxanthin

This action helps the eyes reset and recover from long bouts of concentration—like a workday filled with screen time.*

This incredible antioxidant also works hard to promote nourishment and healthy oxidative balance in the eye by scavenging free radicals4 and supporting healthy retinal blood flow.*

According to Anshel, “vitamin A is the molecule in the retina that converts light energy into nerve energy.” That means that it’s largely responsible for allowing us to, well, see. Knowing that, it’s easy to understand how vitamin A is essential for eye health. Vitamin A deficiency can impact night vision, affect communication to the optic nerve, and also contribute to eye dryness, says Gioia.

When you think of vitamin A, what comes immediately to mind? Carrots, right? Carrots and eye health go way back, but Anshel lets us in on the truth of the matter: “The reason that this myth came about is that carrots have a lot of beta carotene, which is a carotenoid, and beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body,” he explains. 

Vitamin C may be famed for its contributions to proper immune function, but this vitamin also works in the synthesis of collagen6 and helps maintain the integrity of blood vessels7 and connective tissues. Vitamin C is especially important in maintaining the health and clarity of the lens, says Anshel. 

The lens of your eye, which is directly behind the iris, allows you to focus. Anshel tells us that the lens is about the size of a plain (not peanut) M&M and has the consistency of a clear onion. Because it needs to be clear, there is no direct blood supply to it. That means it has to get its nutrition from the fluid that flows in front of it, which is behind the cornea and in front of the iris. According to Anshel, this aqueous fluid nourishes the lens and has 15-20 times8 more vitamin C than any other liquid in the body. 

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant. In the context of eye health, it helps with tear production and protects the retina, shares Gioia. It has also been found to enhance the antioxidant activity of lutein9, so it can better protect the retina from oxidative stress. Considering the retina is exposed to ultraviolet radiation regularly, this ability is particularly important. 

Omega-3s like EPA and DHA aren’t just important for heart health and brain function; they also promote healthy eye function. There’s a high concentration of DHA in the retina, where it promotes optimal visual activity10 and allows for visual transduction11—i.e., when light is converted to electrical signals. It's also critical for eye development in utero and through infancy, and has been shown to improve visual acuity12 in preterm and term infants.