Eat a Mediterranean Diet for Dry Eye Help?

Eating a Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, as well as a reducing the incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. There is an ongoing question about the traditional Mediterranean diet might be helpful for certain eye problems, conditions and diseases such as dry eyes.

Research on Dry Eyes & Mediterranean Diet
Recently, researchers tried to determine whether eating a Mediterranean diet could provide help for dry eyes. Reporting a study in the journal Cornea, the researchers had patients fill out the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire and the Dry Eye Questionnaire 5 and then studied their tear film and measured quality and quantity as well as 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.

If you or someone you know has a question about dry eyes and diet or needs help for dry eyes, please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser to schedule an appointment.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.