Ranking The Best Supplements and Smoothies For Eye Health
In the never ending search to find the perfect supplement to improve your eye health, or that exact smoothie recipe that is ideal to make you an eagle eyed specimen, this article is going to cover:
-
Ideal Supplements For Improve Eyesight
-
The Perfect Smoothie For Eye Health
Your eyes are one of the most important organs in your body, and it is important that you get the right nutrients so that they can remain strong and healthy. You’re eyes are subjected to all sorts of damage: be it the constant glare from a computer screen or a smart phone, or the sun, or the dust and pollutants in the atmosphere. If you’re someone who has a history of eye problems (such issues as macular degeneration, for instance) then it is important that you make sure you have a high enough intake of proper nutrients.
The follow list will breakdown a complete regimen. This includes what supplements you should be taking for your eyes as well as a perfect breakfast smoothie you can drink every morning that is super healthy for your eyes.
Best Eye Supplements
- Lutein
- Bilberry
- Fish Oil (or Algae Oil for Vegetarians)
The above supplements are the best vitamins and nutrients for optimal eye health. You should be adding these to your diet and taking them either in the morning with a smoothie, or at lunch/dinner. While there are some combo supplements that are geared towards eye health, it is probably better to be supplementing these individually. The reason is that you are going to be getting more of the nutrients if you supplement individually.
There are other supplements that deserve discussion (zinc, for instance) but I don’t recommend taking a stand alone zinc tablet. Zinc can cause nausea and an upset stomach. It’s better to simply get zinc from foods.
If you really must use an all encompassing eye supplement, I will make a recommendation at the bottom of the list. But first, let’s take a look at what vitamins and supplements make for healthy eyes:
Lutein
Lutein is one of the most vital antioxidents for your eye. It’s found in foods such as egg yolks, some dark leafy green vegetables, but the best way to make sure you get enough of it is to supplement. And by taking a stand along lutein pill you will be getting a high enough dose (some multi-vitamins might have lutein but they won’t have it in high doses).
You can read reviews on Amazon. Jarrow is one of the best brands out there, which is why I recommend it.
Bilberry
This is something that you won’t find in food (unless you happen to buy billberries). So you are going to want to find a company that produces a pill form. Some of them, such as Solgar, will package other things such as eyebright (an herb) and Jarrow packages Grapeseed extract (which is a powerful antioxident). You can decide which one is best for you. Both brands are excellent.
Jarrow’s Bilberry formulation that also comes with Grapeskin. It’s in a veggie cap which is the easiest to swallow.
There is a great mix from Solgar (one of the oldest and most trusted vitamin and herb brands on the market). It comes with Ginkgo, which is another herb that is well established to have benefits for your vision, as well as Eyebright.
All In One Supplement For Your Eye
(Dha and Lutein)
This amazing supplement comes from Nordic Naturals (probably one of the most respected and well reviewed supplement companies in the world). And it has a combination of some really impressive ingredients. You get DHA (which is one of the essential fatty acids that is most effective at helping maintain eyesight and prevent oxidative damage, as well as lutein (the powerful antioxidants that we spoke about earlier in the article).
Additional items that you might want to pick up from Amazon while shopping for Omega Vision are Nordi Naturals Vitamin D.
Smoothie For Eye Health And Improved Vision
If you’ve not brought yourself a blender, then do yourself a favor and visit my reviews of the best blenders for smoothies. That article covers the three main types of blenders that you can get, ranging from the top of the line jar blenders, to mid prized Ninja models, to the smaller bullet blenders. You can make a perfect smoothie in any of them, there are just a few cavets if you’re going to use the bullet blender, which I will address.
You can make a superfood smoothie every morning and take it to work with you. This doesn’t have to be an alternative to supplements, but simply a complement. There’s no harm in taking whole foods (in smoothie form) as well as supplements in order to maximize your vision and eye health. Whole foods that are great for your eyes include eggs (lutein) as well as carrots. However, for a smoothie, you won’t be adding eggs or carrots. What you’ll want to focus on are the following:
What to Include In Your Smoothie For Eye Health
Leafy greens: because they have lutein and zeaxanthin. The thing to think about is what sort of leafy greens you want to use in your smoothie. Many people choose kale, but you need a powerful blender. If you use one that does not have a stron motor, you will end up with chunks of kale and it won’t taste great. So, make sure you’ve gotten a good sized moror and a full size blender. The Ninja or Vitamix both work.
For the type of kale, I like Dino kale. You could also get baby kale. Or you can get spinach if you don’t like kale. But these are the two main sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.
Blueberries: The dark skin of the blueberry has a powerful antioxidant in it that is helpful for protecting your eye. The best way to blend up a nice smoothie is to get frozen wild blueberries. Try and get organic if you can, shops like BJs, Costco, and Trader Joes all sell brands of organic or wild blueberries in the frozen section. Using frozen blueberries serves two points. First, it is cold and you want a chilled smoothie. Also, you can skip the ice. Blueberries are so powerful that there are even studies that suggest they can improve the retina after photobleaching.
Chia Seeds (soaked): First up, always soak your chia seeds. You want them to be soft. They absorb water, and if they are blended up raw, not only will you not be getting a smooth smoothie, you won’t have them in an ideal state for your digestive tract. However, soaked chia seeds (you can soak them overnight) are perfect for a eye health smoothie as they have omega fatty acids which are important for eye health.
Liquid Base: Almond Milk or Coconut Water are two great choices. Almonds have antioxidants, and coconut water is full of a very important mineral (magnesium) which is important for proper eye health.
You can head to a store such as costco, BJs, or even your local supermarket and get a combo bag of frozen kale and blueberries all in one. The upside to buying a bag of frozen berries and kale is that the kale is already shredded and cut down to size, plus it’s convenient. All you have to do is add a cup of the frozen berry and kale mixture to your blender and some coconut water and you have a awesome smoothie that is amazing for your eye.
Simple Smoothie Recipe For Eye Health
1 cup blueberries
1 handful shredded kale
1 cup coconut water
Ice to taste (unless you are using frozen blueberries)
This is my standard smoothie, though some people like to thicken it out and you can add something such as a banana or even yogurt. Greek yogurt for example, would be perfect if you’re also looking to add some protein to your smoothie to make it a complete meal replacement.
Related Posts
Hi Everyone!
Jenny O’Brien here. Nutritionist & personal trainer. Just your average vegetarian and smoothie fanatic!
If you have any questions, or you’d like me to cover a particular topic, drop me a line and let me know!
Thanks!