CHECK: Are eye vitamins worth it or a waste of money?

There’s just about a vitamin for everything. Vitamin A for the immune system, D for bone health and K for calcium. But what about vitamins I or rather… vitamins for the eyes.

QUESTION:2 Wants to Know viewer Debbie Watson asked us, “Over-the-counter eye vitamins, helpful or just a waste of money?”

TO TREAT: To verify, we contacted Dr. Neil Hutto, Doctor of Optometry at Triad Eye Associates.

First of all, eye vitamins cannot prevent vision problems like near vision or farsightedness.

“You’re not going to eliminate addiction to glasses or contact lenses. So that person who has trouble reading or driving without their glasses, multivitamins aren’t going to help them,” Hutto explained.

However, two types of supplements can help with eye health issues. Omega 3 and AREDS.

Omega 3s, if taken daily, can help reduce the need to use artificial tears. Then there are AREDS vitamins or age-related eye disease.

“They are used to slow the progression or stop the progression of dry macular degeneration,” the doctor explained.

If you’ve never heard of dry macular degeneration, let’s break it down. The macular is the part of your retina that allows you to focus. As we age, the macular sometimes weakens.

Hutto said, “It’s almost like looking at the sun and seeing this place following you around, which is how people with advanced macular degeneration see it all the time.”

AREDS does not prevent or cure macular degeneration.

“They are used to slow the progression or stop the progression of dry macular degeneration.”

So, it is verified, supplements can be useful for dry eyes or macular degeneration. But they won’t stop, cure, or prevent vision-related problems. And just to add that note, Hutto says a healthy diet and sunglasses have been shown to be just as effective as any over-the-counter vitamin or eye supplement.

Neil Hutto, Doctor of Optometry, Triad Eye Associates