Developing Those Elusive Bright Eyes... With Vitamins And
By Charlene J. Nuble, Fri Dec 9th

Vision is one of our most precious senses. Without it the worldas we know it would be blank. One of the things that we can dodaily to protect our eyes from harm is to be sure that each daywe consume the recommended daily intake levels of vitamins,minerals and other nutrients that we need in order to keep oureyes healthy. As with everything about our bodies propernutrition plays an invaluable role in keeping our eyesfunctioning as well as possible. There are certain nutrientsthat are known to be especially associated with ocular health.

Among these are the antioxidant vitamins. The eye, especiallythe lens and the retina is particularly vulnerable to theeffects of unchecked free radicals which are a byproduct ofoxygen, cellular processes and environmental contaminants.Antioxidant vitamins help to combat free radicals. The primaryantioxidant vitamins include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and VitaminE. in addition to their important action against free radicalsthey promote healthy cells and tissues in the eye. Lutein andZeaxanthin are two more valuable antioxidants that recentresearch has found to be especially effective in maintaining thegood health of the eyes.

In addition to the vitamins that promote ocular health there areseveral minerals that have been determined to play a significantrole in the good health of the eye. Among these are zinc,selenium, manganese and copper. Zinc is an important mineralthat serves to regulate sight, smell and taste and theconcentration of zinc in the eye is actually higher than anyother part of the body. One important function of zinc inrelation to the eyes is its role in the regulation of the amountof Vitamin A which is essential to good eye health from theliver. People who have a deficiency in selenium have beenclinically shown to be more likely to suffer from cataracts.

Recent research into the influence of vitamins, minerals andother nutrients upon the health of the eye has turned up a gooddeal of new information. This has led to the development ofspecialized dietary supplements designed specifically to promoteocular health. The early results of clinical trials concerningthe disturbance and even reversal of macular degeneration andother age-related eye diseases via specialized nutritionaltreatments look very promising and research continues to proveit in a rapid pace..

Those seeking to benefit from dietary supplements designed topromote ocular health and healing should familiarize themselveswith the most common vitamins and minerals in these supplementsdoing the research to find out what both would be the best andthe safest levels of these nutrients are. Consulting an eye careprofessional and a licensed nutritionist can be very helpful inplanning the best dietary supplement regimen suited to yourindividual dietary needs and health goals.

Making sure that you are achieving the recommended daily intakelevels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is one of thebest things that you can do for your overall health and wellbeing. In terms of eye health, paying very close attention toyour daily nutrition intake can actually make a real differencein the quality of your vision and help to keep your eyes healthyand functioning well for a very long time. When properly takendietary supplements can be a valuable part of any ocular healthfocused program.

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About the author:Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and informationabout Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on allhealth related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/