This Vitamin Can Help You Maintain Healthy Vision As You Age, Studies Show

Eye health isn't always top of mind until it has to be. Think about it—you may eat oranges to support your immune system, feed your gut with probiotic foods, or consume collagen for healthy skin aging, but what about eating for eye health? Maybe you chomp on a few carrots, but not many people prioritize eye-enhancing nutrients. But they should!

An Ophthalmology1 study1 with 5,638 participants over the age of 60 in India found that vitamin C status was inversely associated with eye health concerns. Translation: The more vitamin C participants had in their body, the more likely they were to maintain healthy vision.*

The overall correlation between adequate vitamin C levels and eye health may be the result of a few compounding factors. Most notably, vitamin C is found in the protective layers of the eyes. As this 2020 study2 states, "In humans, the high concentrations of vitamin C in the aqueous humor, together with its ability to absorb UV light, have led to its referral as a physiological 'sunscreen,'" researchers say.

What does this mean? Just as how the antioxidant is beloved for enhancing photoprotection in the skin, it's working hard to serve as a protective buffer for your orbs too.*

In the Ophthalmology study, other antioxidants proved beneficial for eye health as well, including lutein, zeaxanthin, retinol and beta-carotene (aka vitamin A), and vitamin E. No wonder these antioxidants (plus vitamin C) are leveraged in eye health supplements on the market.