Vitamin D Key To Healthy Eyes In Old Age

Vitamin D supplements could help combat many eye diseases of the elderly according to new research undertaken in the UK. Taking a simple vitamin D supplement was shown to lead to improvements in the sight of mice as quickly as six weeks into treatment.

The vitamin, which also prevents rickets, can combat such diseases as macular degeneration of the eye. Scientists believe that the vitamin could have similar effects on the human eye as it does on the eyes of mice.

Vitamin D deficiency causes a problem with blood flow and scientists believe that this effects the blood flow to the retina at the back of the eye. Better circulation could result in less eye problems.

The Royal Institute for the Blind (RNIB) have warned people not to start taking vitamin D supplements yet as a lot of research is still to be done before its efficacy in humans can be truly evaluated.

The research was led by Professor Glen Jeffrey of UCL's Institute of Opthalmology. Professor Jeffrey explained what happened when mice were injected with vitamin D directly into the eye: "The mice showed an associated improvement of vision."

As well as improving blood flow to the retina the mice on vitamin D supplements also appeared to have better heart health with less problems in terms aortic blood flow restriction for example. Some believe that the economic downturn in the west and poor diet is leading to old illnesses such as rickets returning. Prof. Jeffrey said that there is: "growing evidence that many of us in the Western world are deficient in vitamin D"

The study is a t too early a stage to recommend that elderly people take a vitamin D supplement to help stop eye diseae but it does seem to offer some hope in tackling the problems of eyesight failure in older life down the line.