Heal Dry Eye Syndrome Update

Heal Dry Eye Syndrome

Do you remember a few months ago when I told you my Schnauzer Annie Mae who was diagnosed with dry eye syndrome in the left eye? Our vet told me there was no cure and she would have this for life. She would need to have the drops every day and her right eye would probably get it too. I knew there had to be a way to heal this. And so the journey began.

I make Annie’s meals, so I added more vitamin A/beta-carotene-rich vegetables such as carrots and green beans to her mix of organic, grass-fed ground beef that I cook in coconut oil. and then add cooked organic brown rice I sprinkle on a powdered supplement that has omega-3s in it for one of the meals. She also gets fresh lettuce several times a week. She actually loves plain Romaine.

The results have been impressive. Not only is she healed of dry eye, she no longer gets hardly any discharge from her eyes like she had for years. Her eyes are bright and sparkly. And she has so much energy she runs around like a puppy, even though she’s 9 years old. She bounds into the house after a ride to the store and spins out on the hardwood floor. She does victory laps around our coffee table. And she jumps and runs like a jackrabbit. Our favorite saying these days is “What got into that dog!” But I know what got into her—super nutrition.

This has saved us $60 a month for a little vial of thick ointment that was a big hassle to get into her eye, not to mention the problems Annie is relieved of.

Healing Your Dry Eyes

What’s working for Annie can work for you. I had an interesting dream this week where I was given instructions for what you can do if you suffer from dry eye syndrome.

You will want to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Get my book The Anti-Inflammation Diet.

Vitamin D

A study was published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases which showed that vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with dry eye. (1)

Vitamin A

Vitamin A deficiency has been linked to dry eye. Eat and juice more green, orange and yellow vegetables. Juicing is particularly helpful because you can juice more produce than you would probably eat in a day(2)

Algae Supplements

Algae deserves a special mention as it contains Dunaliella which offers protective eye color pigments.

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid produced by a form of microalgae. This pigment is used by the algae to protect itself from the environment when water begins to dry up. It’s the carotenoid that gives salmon, shrimp, lobster, and crab their pink color. The highest concentration is found in the muscle of wild-caught salmon, which biologists believe give the fish the endurance they need to swim long distances upstream.(3)

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

The National Eye Institute (NEI) suggest that omega-3 fats may decrease symptoms of irritation in people with dry eye.(4) Actually, dry eyes can result from a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids.  These fats also stimulate tear production and give you higher quality tears. Good food sources of this nutrient include fatty fish like salmon and fish oils such as cod liver oil, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and walnuts.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can act as a rewetting agent for your eyes and play a key role in reducing the symptoms of dry eyes. While the composition of fatty acids in it helps a lot, it also helps the protective layer over the tear film layers to help reduce tear evaporation. Additionally, it has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce the discomfort caused by dry eyes.

Notes

1 Tovey, A. & Cannell, J. New study suggests vitamin D deficiency is related to dry eye. The Vitamin D Council Blog & Newsletter, 2015.

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18848318

3 https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/08/16/remedies-to-prevent-dry-eyes.aspx

4 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/315270.php

Today’s Recipe

REFRESHING CARROT GINGER SOUP

This recipe is one of the favorites that my husband and I serve at our juice and raw-foods retreat.

• 3 cups carrot juice (15–21 carrots, juiced, depending on size)
• 1 avocado, peeled and seeded
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2–3 limes, juiced)
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 small shallot

Pour everything into a blender and process until well combined.

Serves 2–3