Nutrition and How it Might Influence Myopia

Nutrition is important for the health of the body in general and the eyes are no different. Many structures in the eye are phased by malnutrition, but what, if any, role does nutrition play in influencing changes that lead to nearsightedness (myopia)? Our doctors spend time evaluating your child to see if they may be aided by nutritional recommendations, other therapies or a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes to help manage the progression of their myopia.

Certain researchers note the increase in the population of myopes that occurred between the change in society from an agrarian and illiterate culture to an industrial and literate culture and tie the increasing prevalence and incidence of myopia to changes in the dietary habits of these cultures. However, myopia progression is a multifactorial condition, not influenced solely by any particular factor such as nutrition. Many more changes in society took place as our society became more industrialized, such as mainstreaming in the ability to read and write, which are more likely to have an impact on increases in prevalence of myopia than nutrition. Some studies blame consumption of newer high-glycemic – load carbohydrates and their potential to create insulin resistance as a culprit for myopia progression and recommend a diet closer to the “hunter-gatherer” diet. For more information on nutrition and relation to myopia progression visit the myopia research library tab on our home page.