As we age, prioritizing the well-being of our eyes becomes increasingly crucial; they enable us to cherish precious moments, relish beauty, and connect with our loved ones. Could embracing the potential qualities of blackcurrants as vision supplements and nutritional supplements hold the key to improving eyesight and nurturing lifelong healthy eyes?
Antioxidants
If nature marketed its miraculous compounds, antioxidants would be on the first shelf named ‘nature’s anti-aging serum’. In the plant, antioxidants behave the same way as they do in our bodies- reducing oxygenation and slowing signs of wear and tear and decline.
Antioxidants are an umbrella term for a variety of different compounds that all act as vision supplements in slightly different ways to protect your eyes and other organs from the natural stress of life.
Some of these antioxidants found in blackcurrants include; anthocyanins (of which blackcurrants are a world-leading health food), vitamin A and vitamin C. Studies suggest that, when it comes to eye health, it’s the synergistic effect of the collection of antioxidants in berries that make a big difference (1).
This is why it’s better to get your antioxidants from a whole fruit or food rather than from isolated compounds.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a kind of antioxidant essential to eyesight;
It maintains the function of the retina
It synthesizes material we need in order to see
It helps to synthesize collagen which is essential to improve eyesight
Blackcurrants are a health food bursting with vitamin A -they can contain up to 300% of your RDA in one serving (2)!
Anthocyanins
Is it true that carrots help you to see in the dark? Perhaps not entirely, but the anthocyanins found abundantly in both carrots and blackcurrants have been found to improve night vision by supporting the production of the pigment ‘rhodopsin’.
Anthocyanins do a lot more for our eyes too;
They strengthen blood vessels
Improve microcirculation to the eyes
Reduce oxidative damage
Anthocyanins also protect your eyes against UV and blue-light damage by absorbing the light -read more about this here (3).
Blackcurrants (especially New Zealand blackcurrants) are amongst the highest sources of antioxidants in the world -what more effective place to start strengthening and improving your eyes than the ‘best in the world’ (4)?
Microcirculation
All of these nutrients are powerful and effective at supporting the health of your eyes -but only if they can get to them! These nutrients, just like all other vitamins and compounds, travel through the bloodstream to get to your eyes
Blackcurrants contain anthocyanins that enhance microcirculation to the outer parts of your body -including your eyes. Improved microcirculation ensures blood vessels deliver essential nutrients and oxygen for optimal eye health (5).
Taking care of our eyes is not on many people’s agenda, but with every 1 in 200 people developing age-related eye diseases, the rewards of some simple preventative care are huge.
As one of the world leaders in antioxidants, blackcurrants are an effective, easy, and delicious way to take action now.
Resources
Khoo, H., Ng, H., Yap, W.-S., Goh, H. and Yim, H. (2019). Nutrients for Prevention of Macular Degeneration and Eye-Related Diseases. Antioxidants, [online] 8(4), p.85. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8040085.
www.aoa.org. (n.d.). Caring for Your Eyes. [online] Available at: https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes [Accessed 16 Jul. 2023].
Shin, C.-H., Lee, M.-H., Hyeong Joon Kim, Chung, H.-C., Kim, D.-U., Jin Hee Lee and Jeong, K.-Y. (2022). Protective Effect of Ribes nigrum Extract against Blue Light-Induced Retinal Degeneration In Vitro and In Vivo. [online] 11(5), pp.832–832. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11050832.
Nomi, Iwasaki-Kurashige and Matsumoto (2019). Therapeutic Effects of Anthocyanins for Vision and Eye Health. Molecules, [online] 24(18), p.3311. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24183311.
Kiseleva, T.N., Sudovskaya, T.V., Zaitsev, M.S. and Lugovkina, K.V. (2019). The Effect of Anthocyanins on Microcirculation and Retrobulbar Blood Flow in Ocular Pathology. Ophthalmology in Russia, [online] 16(3), pp.360–365. doi:https://doi.org/10.18008/1816-5095-2019-3-360-365.
