Healthy lifestyle changes can have an incredible impact on the risk of developing health concerns. Eating right and exercising reduce the risk of issues like high blood pressure and heart disease. The AREDS 2 study proved that certain vitamins and minerals can positively affect aging eye health. Recent science has shown that certain B vitamins can also reduce the risk of developing age-related eye health issues.

B Vitamins

Vitamin B is essential for living a healthy life. There are 8 types of vitamins in the Vitamin B family, including:

• Thiamin (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin (B3)
• Pantothenic acid (B5)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
• Biotin (B7)
• Folate (B9; folic acid)
• Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)

The specific B vitamins that are beneficial for age-related eye health issues are B6, folate, and B12.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, is necessary for the absorption of protein and carbohydrates and the creation of red blood cells and some brain chemicals. It can be found in meat, poultry, legumes, leafy green vegetables, fish, and shellfish.

Folate/Folic Acid

Folate, also known as B9, helps create red blood cells and rice be fortified with folic acid to help reduce the number of birth defects known as neural tube defects (NTDs). Since this change, the number of NTDs has decreased by 35%.

Vitamin B12

Cyanocobalamin, or B12, is important for the production and maintenance of the myelin, the fatty substance surrounding nerve cells that helps speed communication between cells. It’s also implicated in creating red blood cells and energy production via the breakdown of certain fatty acids and amino acids. Vitamin B12 can be found in almost anything that comes from animals, including meat, eggs, milk, and cheese.

Reducing the Risk of Age-Related Eye Health

These three B vitamins do their best work together. One randomized trial whose participants were women with a high risk of cardiovascular disease showed that supplementation with folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 may reduce the risk of age-related eye health issues. Another study linked elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood with age-related eye health concerns, and vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid help to reduce the level of this amino acid. With these impressive results in mind, it’s important to have a proactive eye health nutraceutical that includes these key nutrients. The new & improved EyePromise Restore now includes these 3 B vitamins. Learn more about the best macular health formula for patients at risk for age-related eye health concerns.  

Sources

1. Merle, Bénédicte MJ et al. “Dietary Folate, B Vitamins, Genetic Susceptibility and Progression to Advanced Nonexudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Geographic Atrophy: A Prospective Cohort Study.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 103.4 (2016): 1135–1144. PMC. Web. 18 Jan. 2018.
2. Huang, Peirong et al. “Homocysteine and the Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Scientific Reports 5 (2015): 10585. PMC. Web. 18 Jan. 2018.
3. Christen, William G. et al. “Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 in Combination and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Randomized Trial of Women.” Archives of internal medicine 169.4 (2009): 335–341. PMC. Web. 18 Jan. 2018.
4. Elevated Serum Homocysteine, Low Serum Vitamin B12, Folate, and Age-related Macular Degeneration: The Blue Mountains Eye Study, Rochtchina, Elena et al. American Journal of Ophthalmology , Volume 143 , Issue 2 , 344 - 346
5. Kamburoglu, Gunhal, et al. “Plasma Homocysteine, Vitamin B12 and Folate Levels in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.” Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, vol. 244, no. 5, 2005, pp. 565–569., doi:10.1007/s00417-005-0108-2.
6. “Vitamin B.” Better Health Channel, Department of Health & Human Services, 31 May 2014, betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-b.
7. “What Is Myelin?” National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Definition-of-MS/Myelin.
8. “Folic Acid.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3 Nov. 2017, cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/features/folicacid-prevents-ntds.html.