Nutrition and proper diet have long been established as critical for eye health as we age. The American Optometric Association (AOA) (1) notes the importance and positive correlation of antioxidants on eye health. The AOA wrote that “adding powerful antioxidants to your diet can improve your eye health. There’s no substitute for the quality of life good vision offers. Adding certain nutrients to your diet every day – either through foods or supplements – can help save your vision. Researchers have linked eye-friendly nutrients such as lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to reducing the risk of certain eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataract formation.” (2)
Simplesa® is dedicated to creating quality and supportive nutritional supplement products for its customers. Oxidation and inflammation are known factors in deteriorating eye health. Simplesa’s OptiPlus supports proactive and reactive efforts to provide the nutrition needed to maintain healthy eyes and vision. According to a study published on the National Institute of Health website called “Nutrients for the aging eye” by Helen M. Rasmussen and Elizabeth J. Johnson, “There is evidence that dietary antioxidants and anti-inflammatories may provide benefit in decreasing the risk of age-related eye disease. Nutrients of interest are vitamins C and E, β-carotene, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Therefore, it is important to educate this population and to create an awareness of the nutrients and foods of particular interest in the prevention of age-related eye disease. ” (3)
OptiPlus ingredients closely mirror the recommendations of these studies and research on best practices for nutritional support of eye health with the following key ingredients:
- Quercetin helps protect against cataract formation and diabetic retinopathy.
- Retinol is a crucial component for the eye to be able to detect light, especially at low levels.
- Taurine is critical to the proper function of the eye because it is needed for proper retinal cell function and for both color and light vision.
- N-acetyl-L-cysteine and reduced glutathione, important antioxidants for the eye, work together in maintaining eye health by helping the body get rid of waste.
- Sodium R-lipoate is a potent antioxidant and also increases glutathione levels. Lipoic acid exerts a number of beneficial effects on the eye including delaying the harmful effects of diabetic retinopathy, restoring tear production in dry eye and improving glaucoma.
- Grapeseed, bilberry, blackcurrant and schisandra berry extracts contain potent anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory substances that help protect structures within the eye from damage. Bilberry extract decreases oxidative stress in the lens of the eye.
- Schisandra berry extract increases the body’s ability to fight stress and disease and/or improves functional performance and also appears to protect against eye fatigue. In laboratory studies, grapeseed extract protected against oxidative stress-induced cell death in the retina and prevented the onset and progression of age-related cataracts. Powerful antioxidants derived from black currant show remarkable ability to penetrate various parts of the eye including the aqueous humor, cornea, steroid, iris, retina and others, thereby bringing their disease fighting properties to all parts of the eye.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin have antioxidant and free radical scavenging capacities and help protect the eye from age-related macular degeneration and ultraviolet light damage, which can induce and exacerbate the formation of cataracts.
- Astaxanthin may help reduce eye strain and fatigue and perhaps increase visual acuity. Individuals with early-stage age-related macular degeneration had improved macular function after six months of taking astaxanthin.
- Zinc helps preserve the health of the eye during aging and is heavily studied as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration.
- Calcium folinate may help alleviate certain conditions such as chronic dry eye by reducing homocysteine levels in the eye.
Simplesa OptiPlus is taken three times a day, ideally spaced evenly throughout the day for maximum absorption. Each bottle of OptiPlus contains 120 capsules for a 40-day supply.
References
(1) http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/diet-and-nutrition?sso=y
(2) http://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/diet-and-nutrition?sso=y
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3693724/
