The short version
- - Four nutrients have authorised health claims for vision in Great Britain. Vitamin A, zinc and riboflavin contribute to the maintenance of normal vision, and so does DHA at 250 mg a day.
- - A varied diet provides all four for most people with healthy eyes.
- - Lutein and zeaxanthin are plant pigments found in the macula, but they have no authorised health claims in Great Britain.
- - A Cochrane review of the randomised trials found no evidence that antioxidant supplements prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in people without it (Cochrane, 2017).
- - In the VITAL trial of 25,871 adults, vitamin D3 and omega-3 supplements had no significant effect on AMD developing or progressing (JAMA Ophthalmology, 2020).
- - The high-dose AREDS2 formula is for people already diagnosed with AMD, taken on professional advice, not for healthy eyes.
- - In people with AMD, lutein and zeaxanthin on their own may have little or no effect on progression (Cochrane, 2023).
- - Screens can leave eyes tired and dry, but the College of Optometrists says there is no evidence they harm your eyes. The answer is breaks and blinking, not supplements.
- - The most useful thing you can do for your eyes is a regular sight test. It can pick up conditions such as glaucoma before you notice any symptoms (NHS).
Search for eye vitamins and you will find confident promises about your sight. Most of them rest on research carried out in people who already had eye disease, usually the US National Eye Institute's AREDS trials in people with AMD. For most readers the more useful question is a different one: if your eyes are healthy, does taking a supplement do anything?
AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, affecting more than 600,000 people (College of Optometrists), so the question matters. The best answers now come from Cochrane systematic reviews, which pool every good-quality trial on a question, and from large trials in the general population.
So, this piece covers what nutrition does for your eyes, what lutein and zeaxanthin are, what the current research says about eye supplements for healthy eyes and for people with AMD, what helps with screen strain, and when to see an optometrist. We make an eye supplement ourselves, so it is worth saying now: for most people with healthy eyes, a varied diet and regular sight tests matter more than any capsule.
Which nutrients support normal vision?
Four nutrients have authorised claims for vision on the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register, the official list of health claims permitted for foods and supplements in Great Britain:
• Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
• Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2) contributes to the maintenance of normal vision.
• DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, contributes to the maintenance of normal vision. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg.
Vitamin A has the most direct job: the retina needs it to detect light (NEI).
These claims describe a role in normal function. They do not mean that more is better, or that a supplement will sharpen your eyesight. Food covers all four for most people. Vitamin A comes from cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk and yoghurt, and your body also makes it from the beta-carotene in foods such as carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes and red peppers (NHS). Riboflavin is found in milk, eggs, mushrooms and fortified breakfast cereals (NHS), zinc in meat, shellfish, dairy foods and bread (NHS), and DHA in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines (NHS).
A caution on vitamin A
Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so your body stores what it does not use. The NHS advises keeping your combined intake from food and supplements to an average of 1.5 mg a day or less, not taking vitamin A supplements if you eat liver weekly, and avoiding them, including fish liver oil, during pregnancy (NHS).
What are lutein and zeaxanthin?
Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, the same family of plant pigments as beta-carotene. Your body cannot make them, so they come from food, particularly green leafy vegetables and egg yolks (Advances in Nutrition, 2021). What makes them interesting is where they end up. Of more than 1,000 carotenoids in nature, only lutein, zeaxanthin and their metabolites are present in the macula, the small central area of the retina responsible for detailed vision (Advances in Nutrition, 2021).
Lutein and zeaxanthin do not have authorised health claims in Great Britain, so supplements containing them cannot make authorised health claims about their effects on vision. The same applies to astaxanthin.
The research establishes less than the marketing suggests. A 2021 review of studies in adults with healthy eyes found that intakes above 10 mg a day raise the amount of pigment measured in the macula (Advances in Nutrition, 2021). Higher levels are not the same as a demonstrated benefit to vision. And in people who already have AMD, the 2023 Cochrane review found that lutein and zeaxanthin on their own may have little or no effect on progression compared with placebo (Cochrane, 2023).
What does the research say about eye supplements?
The answer depends on who is taking them, so it helps to separate the two groups the research has studied.
If your eyes are healthy
A 2017 Cochrane review pooled the randomised trials of antioxidant supplements in people without AMD. It concluded that there is accumulating evidence that vitamin E or beta-carotene supplements do not prevent or delay AMD, and no evidence either way for vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin, or the multivitamin combinations commonly marketed for eyes (Cochrane, 2017).
Since then, the VITAL trial gave 25,871 adults, most of whom did not have AMD, 2,000 IU of vitamin D3, 1 g of omega-3, both, or placebo every day for a median of 5.3 years. Neither supplement had a significant effect on AMD developing or progressing (JAMA Ophthalmology, 2020). That does not contradict DHA's authorised claim for normal vision; it answers a different question. The National Eye Institute puts it plainly: nutritional supplements cannot prevent AMD (NEI).
If you have been diagnosed with AMD
This is where the AREDS trials belong. The 2023 update of Cochrane's review in people with AMD found moderate-certainty evidence for the AREDS formula of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and zinc. How much it matters depends on the stage: for every 1,000 people with intermediate AMD taking supplements there were an estimated 78 fewer cases of progression to late AMD, compared with 4 fewer for people with early AMD (Cochrane, 2023).
The formula has since changed. AREDS2 replaces beta-carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin, because high-dose beta-carotene was linked to lung cancer in people who smoke (NEI), a risk the 2023 Cochrane review confirmed, mostly in former smokers (Cochrane, 2023). The doses are also high: 80 mg of zinc a day, where the NHS advises no more than 25 mg a day from supplements unless a doctor recommends it (NHS). These formulas are for people diagnosed with intermediate or late AMD, on the advice of an optometrist or ophthalmologist, not for self-prescribing.
Can nutrition help with screen time and eye strain?
Tired, dry eyes after screen time are common, mainly because we blink less: the normal rate of around 15 blinks a minute can halve during close work (American Academy of Ophthalmology).
The College of Optometrists says there is no evidence that looking at screens harms your eyes. It recommends the 20:20:20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something about 20 feet away for about 20 seconds. Some people need glasses for screen work even if they do not otherwise (College of Optometrists). Blue-light glasses are unlikely to help: a 2023 Cochrane review of 17 trials found they probably make no difference to eye strain (College of Optometrists).
Supplements do not have a strong record here either. In the DREAM trial of 535 people with moderate to severe dry eye, high-dose omega-3 was no better than a placebo at relieving symptoms or signs (National Institutes of Health, 2018). There are no authorised GB health claims for nutrients reducing eye strain. If screen use leaves your eyes persistently uncomfortable, the useful next step is a sight test.
When should you see an optometrist?
It is generally recommended that you have a sight test every two years, although your optometrist may recommend more frequent tests depending on your circumstances. In England, NHS sight tests are free for people aged 60 and over, people diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma, and people aged 40 or over whose parent, sibling or child has been diagnosed with glaucoma (NHS). Eligibility differs elsewhere in the UK.
A sight test is not only about glasses. Glaucoma does not usually cause symptoms and is usually picked up during a routine eye test (NHS), and early AMD may not affect your vision for a long time (NEI). If straight lines start to look wavy, or you notice a blurred patch in the centre of your vision, see your optometrist straight away (College of Optometrists).
Where does a supplement fit?
If your eyes are healthy and your diet is varied, you should be able to obtain the nutrients needed for normal vision from food. A supplement may be useful where dietary intake falls short or where one has been recommended by a healthcare professional.
Our OptimEyes formula contains zinc, which contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and to normal vitamin A metabolism. It also contains a small amount of beta-carotene, alongside lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, bilberry and grape seed extract. Bilberry may help maintain eye health through antioxidant and vascular effects.*
OptimEyes is not an AREDS or AREDS2 formula and has not been tested as a treatment for AMD. It contains 600 µg of beta-carotene per daily dose, compared with the 15 mg daily dose used in the original AREDS formula. The increased lung cancer risk discussed above relates to studies using substantially higher supplemental doses of beta-carotene, particularly in people who smoke or have previously smoked.
If you have AMD, speak to your optometrist or ophthalmologist about the supplement most appropriate for you.
Botanical health claims are currently subject to on-hold provisions pending final evaluation.
Common questions
Do eye vitamins work?
It depends what you expect them to do. Vitamin A, zinc and riboflavin contribute to the maintenance of normal vision, as does DHA at 250 mg a day, and most people get enough of these from a varied diet. A Cochrane review found no evidence that antioxidant supplements prevent AMD in people without it (Cochrane, 2017).
What is the AREDS2 formula?
AREDS2 is a high-dose formula of vitamin C (500 mg), vitamin E (400 IU), zinc (80 mg), copper (2 mg), lutein (10 mg) and zeaxanthin (2 mg). It is intended for people diagnosed with intermediate or late AMD, on the advice of an eye care professional (National Eye Institute).
Should I take lutein and zeaxanthin?
Lutein and zeaxanthin have no authorised health claims in Great Britain. They are found in green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. In people with AMD, a Cochrane review found that on their own they may have little or no effect on progression (Cochrane, 2023). For people with healthy eyes, a benefit from supplements has not been established.
Can supplements prevent macular degeneration?
No. A Cochrane review found no evidence that antioxidant supplements prevent AMD (Cochrane, 2017), and the National Eye Institute states that nutritional supplements cannot prevent it (National Eye Institute). Regular sight tests are how AMD is picked up early.
Do screens damage your eyes?
The College of Optometrists says there is no evidence that looking at screens harms your eyes. They can leave your eyes tired or dry, mainly because you blink less, and the 20:20:20 rule of regular short breaks helps (College of Optometrists).
Does omega-3 help dry eyes?
In the DREAM trial, high-dose omega-3 supplements were no better than placebo for people with moderate to severe dry eye (National Institutes of Health, 2018). If your eyes are persistently dry, see an optometrist.
How often should I have an eye test?
Everyone should have their eyes tested at least every two years, or more frequently if advised by their optometrist. In England, people aged 60 and over are entitled to free NHS sight tests, as are certain other groups, including people diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma and people aged 40 or over with a parent, sibling or child who has been diagnosed with glaucoma (NHS).
Is it safe to take vitamin A supplements?
Vitamin A is essential for normal vision, but because it is fat-soluble the body can store it. The NHS advises against taking too much vitamin A over long periods. People who eat liver or liver products once a week are advised not to take supplements containing vitamin A, and supplements containing vitamin A should be avoided during pregnancy (NHS). High-dose beta-carotene supplementation is a separate consideration. The original AREDS formula contained 15 mg of beta-carotene a day and is not recommended for people who smoke or have previously smoked because of an increased risk of lung cancer seen in this group (Cochrane, 2023). AREDS2 therefore uses lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene.
The bottom line
Nutrition matters for your eyes, but not in the way most marketing suggests. Vitamin A, zinc, riboflavin and DHA contribute to the maintenance of normal vision, and a varied diet provides them for most people. The best current evidence, from Cochrane reviews and the VITAL trial, finds no evidence that supplements prevent AMD in healthy eyes. High-dose AREDS2 formulas are for people diagnosed with AMD, on professional advice. Lutein and zeaxanthin carry no authorised claims, and screen strain is eased by breaks and blinking.
If you do one thing for your eyes this year, book a sight test. It is free on the NHS from 60, and it can find problems long before you would notice them yourself.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult your healthcare practitioner before use.
