Medical Questions » Eyes Questions » Question No. 1290
| Question: | My eyes are very dry - I can' t wear contact lenses any more. Are there any supplements that might help? |
| Answer: | Dry eyes is a classic symptom of vitamin A deficiency. The best sources are cod liver oil, liver and eggs, while Carrots and other dark green, red and yellow vegetables contain beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A. In addition to a vitamin A and beta-carotene-rich diet, supplement 5,000mcg (17,000iu) of vitamin A or 18mg of beta-carotene daily if your eyes are dry. (Note, however, that if you' re pregnant or likely to conceive you shouldn' t take over 3,000mcg, or 10,000iu, of vitamin A.) Try this for two months, then reduce the amount to 3,000mcg.
Other possible causes of dry eyes are dehydration and a lack of essential fats, so drink at least 1.5 litres of filtered or bottled water daily and eat oily fish-sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, wild salmon and the occasional piece of fresh tuna - at least three times per week. |
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