Enhance Your Eye Health: The Best Vitamins For Glaucoma

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Did you know that there are natural glaucoma vitamins and supplements that can enhance neuroprotection and complement your existing glaucoma treatment?

In my opinion, glaucoma treatment should not be limited to only eye pressure reduction. Nutrition plays a vital role for eye and optic nerve health as well, and in this post, I list 9 of the best vitamins for glaucoma below, plus the one ultimate combination vitamin supplement.

But before we get into that, let's find out a bit more about glaucoma first.

What is glaucoma and why is it important?

Glaucoma is a condition where there is progressive damage to the optic nerve, usually related to high pressure in the eye. This causes visual field loss and if untreated, eventual blindness.

Glaucoma is the second commonest cause of blindness worldwide, and affects at least 2% of the population.

It is a major eye health issue, and the most worrying thing is that most sufferers do not know that they have this condition.This is because you usually do not notice any glaucoma symptoms until a lot of glaucoma damage has already occurred.

Unfortunately, glaucoma cannot be cured or reversed, despite the many claims to the contrary that are widespread throughout the internet. Any vision lost from the optic nerve damage cannot be recovered.

The only proven glaucoma treatment option available currently is to reduce the eye pressure, and this can be achieved through eye drops, laser or surgery.

But remember - reducing the eye pressure does not cure your glaucoma or fully restore your vision; it only serves to slow down and reduce the risk of further eyesight deterioration.

Hence the focus on monitoring: early detection means early glaucoma treatment and less glaucoma blindness.

(Image adapted from the internet)

The thing is this: high eye pressure is not the only risk factor for glaucoma.

There are other risk factors such as age, family history, genes, and racial origin - these are non-modifiable, and you cannot do anything about these risks.

The good news is that there nutrients and vitamins for glaucoma neuroprotection that can enhance optic nerve function and help reduce your risk of glaucoma blindness.

a) Nutravision (Australia)

(Disclaimer: I am part of the team of leading Australian clinicians, scientists and naturopaths that formulated and developed Nutravision)

In my admittedly biased opinion, Nutravision sits atop the list of the best vitamins for glaucoma currently available globally.

It combines many of the individual natural treatments for glaucoma (or its equivalent alternative) listed below and more.

The ingredients in the formula are bilberry (anthocyanins), ginkgo biloba, grape seed (proanthocyanidins), L-methylfolate (activated folate), lutein, methylcobalamin (activated vitamin B12), nicotinamide (active vitamin B3), pyruvate, saffron, and zeaxanthin.

Here's how the individual natural nutrients and vitamins benefit those with glaucoma:

Bilberry & grape seed: Clinically found to reduce eye pressure, increase ocular blood flow, and improve visual field test results in glaucoma patients.
Ginkgo biloba: Clinically proven to improve ocular microcirculation, enhance cognitive function, and either improve pre-existing visual field loss or slow the progression of visual field damage in low pressure glaucoma.
L-methylfolate & methylcobalamin (vitamin B12): Both are essential for optic nerve function, and are clinically proven to lower plasma homocysteine levels and decrease visual field deterioration in low pressure glaucoma.
Lutein & zeaxanthin: Clinically proven to increase macular pigment optical density and contrast sensitivity in eyes with glaucoma.
Nicotinamide (vitamin B3) & pyruvate: Important as support against mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired glucose metabolism in retinal ganglion cells. A recent clinical trial found that nicotinamide combined with pyruvate was able to improve visual function in moderate glaucoma after only 2 months.
Saffron: Clinically proven to modulate the stress response of the body, and to decrease eye pressure in stable glaucoma patients

Individually, each of these 10 powerful nutrients and vitamins already confers their own unique clinically proven benefits on glaucoma (and also macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease).

But when taken together, what you get is virtually the most potent, synergistic and comprehensive natural neuroprotection for glaucoma the world has ever seen.

Nutravision is available for purchase online; delivery is available to most countries world wide.

b) Best vitamins for glaucoma

Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) is important in supporting cell metabolism and DNA repair.

Nicotinamide 3,000 mg daily can protect the optic nerve against glaucoma damage when taken over six-weeks.

A separate trial found that nicotinamide combined with pyruvate improved visual function in moderate glaucoma after only 2 months.

Currently, the long term benefit of high-dose nicotinamide (Insolar by Blackmores) at a dose of 3,000mg daily is currently being researched in Melbourne.

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. It is important for DNA regulation, red blood cell production, and helps with the function of our nervous system.

Methylcobalamin is activated vitamin B12, meaning that it is the most highly absorbed and bioavailable form of vitamin B12 compared to others such as cyanocobalamin.

Research from Japan found that 1,500 micrograms (or 1.5 mg) oral methylcobalamin daily for 4 years could decrease visual field deterioration in low pressure glaucoma.

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is a fat-soluble vitamin with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is naturally found in vegetable oils and animal fats.

Research has found alpha-tocopherol to improve blood flow to the eye and to reduce visual field deterioration if taken for at least 6 to 12 months.

c) Best natural plant extracts for glaucoma

Bilberry and blackcurrant contain anthocyanin flavonoids that are both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Studies conducted in South Korea and Japan have shown that both bilberry and blackcurrant extract could help to slow visual field deterioration in glaucoma, particularly normal tension glaucoma.

Forskolin is an active compound found in the root of the Indian coleus (Coleus forskohlii) plant.

Studies of forskolin and glaucoma have found a reduction in eye pressure and improvement in visual function when forskolin is combined with rutin.

Ginkgo biloba is a popular natural herb used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The beneficial effects of ginkgo in glaucoma are due to its antioxidant properties and ability to increase blood flow to the optic nerve.

Most importantly, ginkgo biloba is able to reduce the rate of field loss in low pressure glaucoma.

Note that there is some concern regarding bleeding with ginkgo biloba, but the most rigorous evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses have confirmed that ginkgo biloba does not increase bleeding risk.

Mirtogenol is a trademarked and patented combination of standardized bilberry fruit extract (Mirtoselect) and French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol).

The natural bilberry and maritime pine bark combination has been shown to reduce eye pressure in glaucoma patients, either on its own or in combination with standard glaucoma treatment.

d) Best naturally occuring molecules

Citicoline is a molecule that occurs naturally in the brain.

It enhances communication between nerve cells, protects neural structures, and supports healthy brain activity and energy.

Due to its ability to protect nerve cells, citicoline has been studied extensively as an additional treatment in a wide range of neurological conditions including dementia, stroke, and Parkinson's disease.

Research from Italy reported slowing of glaucoma progression with daily supplementation of citicoline 500 mg daily. Clinical trials have not reported any major or serious adverse effects from taking oral citicoline.

Palmitoylethanolamide (or PEA) is an endocannabinoid that is naturally produced in our body and in the eye to reduce inflammation and pain.

PEA is naturally found in foods such as soybeans, egg yolk, milk, and peanut oil.

Its potential benefits have been studied for pain relief, stroke, multiple sclerosis, depression, and influenza.

PEA taken as an oral supplement 600 mg daily has been shown in clinical trials to be able to provide significant additional eye pressure reduction in glaucoma patients who are already on eye drop therapy.

Final word on the best vitamins for glaucoma neuroprotection

There is no one single vitamin for glaucoma that can do everything, except for probably Nutravision.

I therefore recommend it to my all glaucoma patients if they are keen to supplement with natural nutrients and vitamins.

The 3 main reasons are superior efficacy, convenience, and reassurance. Nutravision is the only natural vitamin supplement in the world that tackles the ten key biocellular risks & mechanisms of eye ageing contributing to glaucoma.

If you take other medications, discuss with your eye specialist and family doctor first to avoid adverse drug interactions and unwanted side effects.

Please note that the natural supplements and vitamins for glaucoma described above must not replace the glaucoma treatment that has already been prescribed by your eye specialist.

Rather, these vitamins should be in addition to and complementary to your existing glaucoma treatment.

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