When I go to the beach or the pool, it’s easy to remember to protect my skin from too much sun because if I don’t I will sunburn. My eyes are just as susceptible to damage from the sun, but I’m not as acutely aware of them because they don’t show damage as immediately as my skin. While occasional and mild sun exposure can be healthy for the eyes, the more I look into it, the more I am convinced of the importance of eye protection when you will be in intense sun for extended periods of time. Repeated sun damage to eyes can lead to formation of cataracts, macular degeneration, and scarring of eye tissue. Here are a few tips to help protect your eyes from the sun:

• Wear UV-blocking sunglasses (most professionals recommend at least UV400 sunglasses) and/or a wide brimmed hat when you will be in direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
• Drink a glass of green tea (iced or hot) before you go out into intense sun. Green tea contains compounds called catechins which have been found to protect the retina from UV damage. I like to take unsweetened iced green tea with me in a cooler when I go to the beach!
• Eat a diet rich in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables to protect your eyes from the inside out. Fresh produce that is dark green, orange, yellow, or red tends to have higher levels of phytonutrients that are specifically protective to the eyes. If this is a challenge, include a whole foods supplement such as PureNutrition Red in your daily routine.
• Regularly eat fatty, cold-water fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, or cod. These types of fish are richest in DHA, a fatty acid that protects and restores eye tissue. If deemed appropriate by your healthcare practitioner, you may also want to take a DHA-rich supplement such as cod liver oil or a fish oil blend that is protective for the eyes such as Ultimate DHA Eye.

While all beneficial oils are important to health, if there’s one that is a superstar for eye health it would have to be DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Here are more facts about this amazing fat!

• Foods that are richest in DHA include fatty fish such as wild salmon or herring, sardines, and cod liver oil. A good vegetarian source is algae that has been grown under clean conditions in a lab.
• The body can synthesize DHA from ALA—the omega-3 fat found in flaxseed—but this requires several biochemical steps, each of which requires nutrients. Conversion may be impaired in people deficient in certain nutrients (particularly B vitamins and zinc).
• Very high levels of DHA are found in the retina—in fact, in a higher proportion than is found in any other tissue in the body.
• If dietary intake of DHA is low, the retina will actually conserve and recycle DHA.
• DHA has been indicated as a protective factor in eye strain associated with computer use.
• DHA has been found to slow the progression of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration.
• DHA has the ability to reverse the symptoms of dry eye syndrome.
• The last trimester of pregnancy is a critical time for the accumulation of DHA in the brain and eyes. DHA continues to be important in the months following birth all the way through adolescence, since the brain and eyes continue to mature.

The Adequate Intake for Omega-3 fats including DHA as set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine is 4.5 g/day in infancy, 7-10 g/day for children (ranges given depend on age and gender), 12-16 g/day for adolescents, 12-17 g/day for adults, and 13 g/day for pregnant and lactating women. To see the specific breakdown by age and gender, go to the Linus Pauling Institute’s entry on Omega-3 fats. To put the Adequate Intake into perspective, a pregnant woman could obtain her daily need for Omega-3 fat by eating 8 ounces wild salmon, 2 tablespoons freshly ground whole flaxseed, and 1 tablespoon cod liver oil.

We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new product: Ultimate DHA Eye! This formula contains concentrated DHA from deep-sea fish oil as well as Lutein and Zeaxanthin, two phytonutrients that are vital to eye health. Here are a few more facts on Lutein and Zeaxanthin:

• They both play an important role in eye health by filtering out UV rays that can damage eye tissue. In fact, their UV filtering ability is so great that increased intake of these nutrients has been found to help prevent sun damage to skin.
• They protect the retina from damage and help to preserve function despite age.
• Regular intake of these two nutrients is associated with decreased risk for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
• Supplementation with Lutein and Zeaxanthin has been found to improve night vision.
• The human body cannot produce Lutein and Zeaxanthin, so intake has to be through food or supplements.
• The average intake of Lutein and Zeaxanthin is 2 mg per day, but most studies find that at least 6 mg per day is needed to reduce the risk of cataracts. Eating six servings a day of brightly colored vegetables and leafy greens is enough to supply this amount.
• Spinach, kale, and collard greens are particularly rich sources of Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

Zinc is most commonly indicated as a nutritional supplement to help with immune support and general wellness, but a lesser known role of zinc is as a key mineral in eye health. Here are a few fun facts about zinc and eye health!

• The concentration of zinc in the eye is unusually high when compared to the rest of the body, and it is particularly abundant in the retina of the eye.
• Zinc has been found to be directly involved in many important processes of the eye including the activation of the pigments that register light (vital to night vision), the transmission of electrical impulses that help transmit images to the brain, and the antioxidant protection of the eye from light and chemical damage.
• Zinc is thought to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of vision loss in the Western world.
• The formation of cataracts, another age-related eye problem, has also been associated with zinc deficiency.
• There is some anecdotal evidence that zinc prevents and in some cases may even reverse the formation of floaters in the eye by strengthening the delicate tissues of the eye as a whole.
• People who chronically use antacids or other products that reduce stomach acid are at a higher risk for eye problems associated with zinc deficiency because stomach acid is required for proper absorption of zinc.
• Adequate levels of dietary zinc during pregnancy help to ensure proper eye formation and function in offspring. Protein foods tend to be richer in zinc—especially almonds, oysters, and beef.

For more information and biochemical details on the link between zinc and eye health, please see the article titled “Zinc and the Eye” from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.