There is limited scientific evidence that vitamin supplementation helps with dry eyes, and not enough evidence to recommend the routine use of commercially available dry eye supplements.
However, some Trusted Source observational studies show how important a dry-eye diet can be.
People should remain skeptical about vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements claiming to treat dry eye syndrome.
The following vitamins may affect dry eyes, but research is still in progress. People should consult a doctor before trying to use dry eye supplements.
What is vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant
This protects the cell membranes throughout the body from damage caused by free radical called metabolic byproducts
, Harmful free radicals in the body can also be caused by exposure to environmental pollutants, including cigarette smoke.
The term "vitamin E" describes not just one substance, but a group of eight compounds called tocopherols and tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol is the most active form of vitamin E.
Natural forms of vitamin E are designated by a "d" prefix (for example, d-alpha-tocopherol); Synthetic Vitamin E has a "dl" prefix (dl-alpha tocopherol). Natural Vitamin E (the "d" forms) is soothing to your eyes and body as a synthetic ("dl") vitamin E.
Eye benefits of vitamin E
Research suggests that vitamin E may help reduce the worsening of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in people with early signs of eye disease.
In the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), which involved nearly 5,000 individuals, participants with early AMD had a 25 percent lower risk of developing advanced stages of the disease when taking a daily supplement with vitamin E. The AREDS supplement included 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E and high levels of vitamin A (as beta-carotene), vitamin C and zinc.
Based on AREDS and other nutritional studies, many ophthalmologists recommend that their patients supplement their diet with a daily multivitamin supplement containing up to 400 IU of vitamin E in combination with other antioxidants as part of their preventative eye care.
Some studies suggest that vitamin E may also play a role in the prevention of cataracts:
In a large, long-term study of more than 3,000 adults (ages 43-86) in Wisconsin, the risk of cataracts over a five-year period in people who have reported more than 60 percent over a period of time was multivitamins or vitamin E supplementation or Vitamin C, use 60 percent lower 10 years compared to non-users.
In a 2008 study of food intake by more than 35,000 women health professionals, women whose diets (including dietary supplements) had the highest levels of lutein and vitamin E had a lower relative risk of cataracts as women whose diets were at the lowest 20 percent for levels of these nutrients.
However, a recent study in apparently healthy older men in the US has shown no benefit in vitamin E supplementation in the prevention of cataracts.
More than 11,000 men aged 50 years and over (African American participants) or 55 years and over (all other participants) took a daily vitamin E supplement (400 IU dl-alpha tocopherol) or a placebo pill for approximately five and a half years on . At the end of the study period, there was no significant difference in the number of cataract or cataract operations performed on participants in both groups.
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