Target the TRUE Cause of Dry Eyes

Cases of dry eye syndrome are skyrocketing.

Approximately 20 million folks in the USA alone battle the condition.

And that number is rapidly growing among young and older adults alike.

That means if you’re not already battling dry eyes—and you’re one of the thousands constantly reaching for artificial tears because your body isn’t producing enough of its own—you’re at risk of developing this uncomfortable condition.

And trust me when I say those dry, gritty, or burning sensations can impact every aspect of your life.

That’s why I’m excited to share two often overlooked ways to avoid dry eyes…

Too often, when we have an external problem, we reach for an external solution.

But more often than not, the root of the problem is something going on inside.

A recent study identified key dietary nutrients that can dramatically reduce your risk of dry eyes.

In a survey of nearly 100,000 women, researchers asked participants to list the foods they’d eaten in the past 24 hours. They then evaluated their diets for specific nutrients.

Eleven nutrients were connected to a decreased risk of dry eyes: omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, calcium, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and water.

On the other hand, higher fat, sugar, carbohydrate, sodium, iron, and zinc intake were associated with an increased risk of the uncomfortable condition.

Obviously, watching your diet to avoid overdoing the ingredients in that “bad” list is a good start.

But quite a few nutrients were connected to a lowered risk of dry eyes. So, I DON’T suggest stocking up on individual supplements to check off this list.

Instead, do what I advise whether you’re concerned about dry eyes or not… Eat a whole-food, nutrient-dense diet. Shop the grocery store perimeter and skip the interior aisles with all the prepackaged junk food.

In addition, no discussion about eye health would be complete without mentioning blue light.

Even if you have the best diet in the world, bombarding your eyes with blue light from your computer (maybe the one you’re reading this article on right now), your phone, and your TV can lead to dry eyes and a host of other eye problems.

Limit exposure (especially at night). Then, consider buying blue light glasses or installing blue light filters on your tech devices.

Or you could do what your ancestors did and go to bed when the sun goes down.

Your body, circadian rhythm, AND eyes will thank you.

P.S. Eye drops often don’t work to relieve dry eyes. But even worse, we recently discovered they can be downright dangerous or even DEADLY.

SOURCE:

Kim J-M, Choi Y-J. Impact of Dietary Nutrients on the Prevalence of Dry Eye Syndrome among Korean Women Aged 40 and above: Evidence from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Nutrients. 2024; 16(3):372. doi .org / 10.3390/nu16030372