Vitamins for the Visually Impaired

While vitamins cannot restore vision to people who have lost part or all of their eyesight, some vitamins can help prevent or slow the progression of vision problems, such as macular degeneration, a disease that causes eyesight to gradually deteriorate with age. The National Eye Institute published a study called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) in 2001 and discovered a combination of vitamins and antioxidants that help prevent and slow the progression of macular degeneration in many patients. Consult your physician before taking any medication or vitamins.

Vitamin C

• The National Eye Institute recommends 500 mg of vitamin C daily for the visually impaired suffering from macular degeneration. While citrus fruits, peppers and other vegetables are good sources of vitamin C, the NEI states that diet alone will not provide the levels of vitamin C or other vitamins necessary to help macular degeneration patients according to their AREDS findings.

Vitamin E

• Vitamin E supplements are an important part of the vitamin regimen suggested by the AREDS findings. Vitamin E capsules and tablets are measured in International Units (IU), and the National Eye Institute recommends a daily 400 IU dose of vitamin E to help with vision problems.

Vitamin A

• Vitamin A works to help slow the progression of vision loss and other vision problems associated with macular degeneration. Vitamin A is often labeled as beta-carotene when purchased at an herbal or health food store. Take 15 mg of vitamin A daily to help with vision problems to follow the NEI's recommendations. Vitamin A or beta-carotene supplements are sometimes labeled in International Units. If your supplements are labeled this way, take 25,000 IU of vitamin A daily to get the equivalent of 15 mg.

Zinc

• Zinc works in combination with the other vitamins suggested by the National Eye Institute to help prevent vision problems, especially in aging individuals. Supplements containing 80 mg of zinc per day are ideal according to the findings of the AREDS. The zinc supplements needed for eye health are labeled as zinc oxide.

Copper

• Copper helps prevent copper deficiency anemia, which often occurs in people who consume high amounts of zinc as is recommended for the visually impaired. A supplement containing 2 mg of copper labeled as cupric oxide is sufficient to prevent copper deficiency anemia in most macular degeneration patients.