Topic of the Month
Micronutrients and eye health
1 March 2014
Good eyesight requires the thousands of cells which compose the eye to all function well. The cells, in turn, rely on an adequate supply of micronutrients to support and maintain their function. Several vitamins are needed as co-factors for the enzymes involved in sight. Vitamins are also important to the optical nerve that transmits light signals from the eye to the brain; to the muscle cells that facilitate visual acuity; and to the blood vessels that are responsible for supplying the eyes with blood and nutrients. The carotenoids found in the macula lutea, the yellow spot at the center of the retina, filter short-wave light like natural sunglasses and protect this sensitive area of the eye against UV damage. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids protect the retina and are indispensible for sensory cell function and hence for vision.