As the consumer base for eye health supplements increases, so too does the range of ingredients being utilized. Not long ago, deteriorating eyesight was considered an inevitable side effect of aging. However, in recent years, it has become an issue affecting younger populations as well. With causes less tied to aging, new solutions are being sought.
Jason Pellegrini, CEO of Quantum Health, noted that younger consumers are focusing on issues like tired eyes, visual processing speed, dry eyes, and contrast sensitivity. Similarly, Ceci Snyder, global product manager at Kemin, highlighted growing awareness of blue light from digital devices driving interest in eye health products among younger ages. Sales data reflects this trend. According to Nutrition Business Journal, U.S. sales of eye health products grew from $572 million in 2014 to $685 million in 2018, with a 3.67% CAGR and a notable 7.5% increase from 2017 to 2018. Manufacturers now address both age-related conditions and digital-age concerns like blue light exposure. Brian Appell, marketing manager at OmniActive Health Technologies, emphasized that blue light from screens contributes to computer vision syndrome, causing eye strain, headaches, and blurry vision. Surveys show high screen usage, with parents and children spending up to 9-11 hours daily on devices. Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are promising ingredients for alleviating these symptoms. Pellegrini explained that macular concentration of these compounds can be high with proper intake. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 59 healthy young volunteers showed significant increases in macular pigment optical density after supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin over 6 and 12 months.Pellegrini noted that every eye health formula offered by Quantum Health contains lutein and zeaxanthin.
Kemin, in partnership with its distributor DSM, offers FloraGLO Lutein and ZeaONE Zeaxanthin in combination as OPTISHARP Zeaxanthin. As Snyder explained, “Both ingredients work together for eye performance and protection by absorbing blue light at complementary wavelengths. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found together in the eye, as well as other parts of the body. FloraGLO Lutein and ZeaONE Zeaxanthin support products addressing eye fatigue2,3, blue light protection4, glare recovery5, contrast sensitivity6 and age-related macular degeneration.”7 Appell also noted OmniActive’s flagship eye health ingredient, Lutemax 2020, contains both lutein and zeaxanthin isomers. While increased screen use is bringing younger consumers into the eye health market, older individuals must also be accounted for. According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss among people 50 and older. According to NEI, “AMD … can interfere with simple everyday activities, such as the ability to see faces, drive, read, write or do close work, such as cooking or fixing things around the house.” A 2019 review titled “Nutrients for Prevention of Macular Degeneration and Eye-Related Disease” by Khoo et al. identified promising nutrients in the treatment of AMD. In its conclusion, it noted, “vitamins C and E, as well as selenium, act as antioxidants in reducing the cellular oxidative stress of the retina or macular region of the eye.”8 The same review noted positive findings for zinc supplementation, concluding, “Four human studies also showed that zinc supplementation effectively reduced the risk of AMD and visual loss.” The authors suggested “[m]ore studies should be focused on specific formulas with a combination of these antioxidants for prevention of [AMD’s] early development and the treatment of macular degeneration and other eye-related complications…” A 2018 study by Rinninella et al. also concluded, “In vitro studies have suggested that AREDS [Age-Related Eye Disease Study] vitamins and zinc supplementation attenuate angiogenesis and endothelial-macrophage interactions, thereby reducing the progression of AMD.”9 Other ingredients in the fight against AMD are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). One comprehensive study by Wu et al. followed 75,889 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 38,961 men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who were at least 50 years old from 1984 to 2012, and 1986 to 2010. That study concluded “Higher intakes of EPA and DHA may prevent or delay the occurrence of visually significant intermediate AMD.”11 A 2013 study on dry-eye sufferers also found those treated with EPA- and DHA-containing fish oil saw significant improvement in visual analogue scale eye pain score and tear-film break up time score after 12 weeks over placebo, indicating effectiveness in ameliorating dry eye symptoms.Another ingredient that has shown promise in the field of eye health, Pellegrini noted, is curcumin, the main curcuminoid of turmeric root.
A 2014 review by Pescosolido et al. concluded, “Most studies demonstrated [curcumin’s] potential therapeutic role and its efficacy in eye relapsing diseases, such as dry eye syndrome, allergic conjunctivitis, anterior uveitis, glaucoma, maculopathy, and ischemic and diabetic retinopathy.” The review went on to note, “In light of its angiogenesis-modulating profile and anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin has great potential in the treatment of inflammatory and neovascular proliferative diseases of the retina.” Knowing the right ingredients to combat failing eyesight is one thing; knowing how to formulate those ingredients into the best possible product is another. “With all supplements, the consumer is demanding more forms to have more flexibility in consumption,” Pellegrini said. “We focus our current efforts on soft gels, as we have determined this is the best method to deliver a product that has appropriate bioavailability of key ingredients in the right ratios.” Pellegrini did note that Quantum is looking into other delivery formats, but that no matter the format, its “core focus is efficacy,” he stated. Pellegrini also made clear than continuing research is the only way to ensure ingredients and formulations stay state-of-the-art. “I think the key for consumers and retailers here is to continue to learn,” he said. “Many products on the shelf may be based on research that is now not the latest thinking. In a category that is evolving so quickly, finding partners that are continuing to innovate and learning why is very important.” References: 1. Stringham JM, O’Brien KJ, Stringham NT. “Macular carotenoid supplementation improves disability glare performance and dynamics of photostress recovery.” Eye Vis. 2016;3:30. 2. Yagi A et al. “The effect of lutein supplementation on visual fatigue: a psychophysiological analysis.” Appl Ergon. 2009 Nov;40(6):1047-54 3. Kawabata F and Tsuji T. “Effects of dietary supplementation with a combination of fish oil, bilberry extract, and lutein on subjective symptoms of asthenopia in humans.” Biomed Res. 2011 Dec;32(6):387-93. 4. Hammond BR et al. “A double-blind, placebo-controlled study on the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on photostress recovery, glare disability, and chromatic contrast.” Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 Dec 2;55(12):8583-9. 5. Stringham JM and Hammond BR. “Macular pigment and visual performance under glare conditions.” Optom Vis Sci. 2008 Apr;85(4):285. 6. Bovier ER and Hammond BR (2015). “A randomized placebo-controlled study on the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on visual processing speed in young healthy subjects.” Arch Biochem Biophys. 572; 54-57. 7. Chew EY et al. “Secondary analyses of the effects of lutein/zeaxanthin on age-related macular degeneration progression: AREDS2 report No. 3.” JAMA Ophthalmol. 2014 Feb;132(2):142-9. 8. Khoo et al.Antioxidants play a significant role in preventing macular degeneration and other eye-related diseases, as highlighted in a 2019 study (Antioxidants. 2019;8:85).
Rinninella et al. explored the connection between diet, micronutrients, gut microbiota, and age-related macular degeneration through the gut-retina axis (Nutrients. 2018;10:1677). Wu et al. demonstrated that dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (Ophthalmology. 2017;124(5):634–643). Kawakita et al. conducted a randomized controlled trial showing that fish oil supplementation improves symptoms in dry eye syndrome subjects (Biomedical Research. 2013;34(5):215-220). Pescosolido et al. reviewed the therapeutic potential of curcumin in ophthalmology, indicating its benefits for eye health (Planta Med. 2014;80(4):249-54).
