Sunday, July 26, 2015

Can a Mediterranean Diet help Dry Eyes?

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, as well as a reducing the incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, but can this diet have an benefit for those with dry eyes and help dry eye symptoms?

Mediterranean Diet & Dry Eyes
Recently, researchers tried to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet could provide help for dry eyes. Reporting in the journal Cornea, the researchers had patients fill out the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Dry Eye Questionnaire and then studied their tear film and measured its quality and quantity. They then also measured the serum level of Vitamin D for each patient. The final results suggested that eating a Mediterranean diet was NOT associated with an improvement in dry eye symptoms and complaints but higher vitamin D levels had a small but favorable effect on dry eye syndrome symptoms.

So, while the Mediterranean diet itself doesn’t directly reduce dry eye symptoms, it does seem to be an eating plan that can help promote health and prevent disease for your whole family. Making sure your vitamin D intake is adequate can also be helpful if you suffer from dry eye problems.

If you or someone you know has questions about diet and dry eye or has dry eyes and needs help for their symptoms, please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County, Google+ or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates offices are located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.