Maintaining vision health is a major concern for most consumers.

Preserving vision health is top priority to most people, no matter their age, but especially for the older generation. After all, your eyesight impacts how you perform in every aspect of life. Ideally, people should visit their ophthalmologists for annual eye exams to detect any potential eye disease, such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. In addition to checking eyes for any eyeglass prescription changes, ophthalmologists can also assess patients’ overall health, from diabetes to high cholesterol to high blood pressure.

With so many people staring at screens multiple hours daily, digital eyestrain caused by exposure to blue light has been added to their concerns. Protecting eye health is more crucial than ever, as the digital revolution is here to stay.

Eye health has been at the forefront of several major government sponsored studies. Specifically, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) was a significant clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute in 1990, under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health. The original research focused on the risk factors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts and the effects of certain vitamins. The conclusion was that zinc and such antioxidants as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E reduced the risk of advanced AMD and associated vision loss, though it did not affect cataracts.

A second study (AREDS2) was completed in 2013, as the concern was that beta-carotene could increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. AREDS2 concluded that lutein and zeaxanthin were a safe and effective alternative.

Many manufacturers of vision health products have formulated ingredients by utilizing the findings set forth in AREDS and AREDS2 as a guideline.

Consumer Concerns

Darren Landis, co-owner of Missouri-based Hyalogic, said that while most people can manage some joint pain, the biggest fear, especially among the elderly, is losing eyesight. “You can’t get that back. You can’t just tolerate poor vision. Macular degeneration, floaters and retinal detachments; everyone is scared to death over that,” he said.

And eye disorders among the elderly is widespread.

“It is estimated that 43 million people in the U.S. suffer from age-related eye disorders compared to 28 million just a few years ago in 2010. It is no secret that vision starts to deteriorate because of the aging process; so many Americans are looking for safe, wholesome solutions to preserve their eyesight into their senior years,” said Jennifer Weinhardt, BS, MS senior research & development specialist for Bluebonnet Nutrition, a Texas-based manufacturer. She added that maintaining proper eye health has become increasingly important with the amplified use of devices like computers, smartphones and tablet screens, which causes exposure to blue light.

In fact, it is estimated that people spend an average of 11 hours daily looking at screens, which contributes to the blue light effect. “This overexposure to blue light can affect the macula longterm as well as eye strain and eye fatigue,” said Alison Gers, vice president of marketing at Vitamin Health (Viteyes), a manufacturer based in Michigan.

“Chronic exposure to blue light is associated with an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older adults,” added Weinhardt.

Retailers are noticing an uptick in consumer concerns regarding eye health. “Our customers come in with concerns for eye health that run the gamut from night-blindness and dry eyes to AMD,” said Ramona Billingslea, marketing manager for Betsy’s Health Foods, a retailer located in Texas.

Consumer/Market Trends

Most manufacturers agree that the demand for vision health products will continue to grow across all demographics.

“Learning from their parents and grandparents, the younger demographic is more knowledgeable about how nutrition can help to protect their eyes with supplements,” said Gers. “As more consumers are looking for natural solutions for their overall health, we will see a big growth in solutions for eye strain, occasional dry eye and earlier protection of macular health. And our digital age, staring at the screens all day long, will have a huge impact on the eye supplement industry,” said Gers.

Specifically, transmission of blue light by digital devices causes strain and oxidative stress on your eyes, said Weinhardt. “Blue light’s very short wavelength produces a higher amount of energy, and studies suggest that, over time, exposure to the blue end of the light spectrum could cause serious long-term damage to your eyes,” she said.

Kristin Chapman, MSc, category manager for Life Extension, a manufacturer headquartered in Florida, agreed that consumer demand will continue to stay strong, particularly as there seems to be no slowdown in the use of digital technology. “Consumers are becoming aware of the impact of extended screen time, and this has widened the market from those who are not only seeking active support but more and more consumers who want to protect and preserve their vision for years to come,” she said, adding that the public’s awareness of how blue light affects their vision will impact the supplement market in a positive way.

Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education at Terry Naturally/EuroPharma, a manufacturer based in Wisconsin, agreed. “I think the potential for vision health supplements is massive, for the very reasons that the market has been impacted by how much screen time we all participate in. Between that and an aging population, I expect to see [an] even larger portion of shelf space dedicated to eye health developing in the near future,” she said.

In conjunction with consumers seeking transparency in all of the natural products they purchase, Weinhardt said that clean label initiatives are just as important with vision support supplements.

Ingredients

Popular ingredients in eye health supplements include lutein and zeaxanthin, which are nutrients that have been around for years. “Lutein and zeaxanthin are the only natural defenses our eyes have to protect your macula from aging and harmful effect of blue light,” said Gers. She added that astaxanthin, an antioxidant that supports recovery from eye strain and fatigue, is newer on the scene.

Chapman added that meso-zeaxanthin is another trending ingredient, and evolving ingredients include cynanidin-3-glucoside, an anthocyanin flavonoid extracted from European black currant berry to support healthy night vision, as well as saffron to support vision and retinal function.

Based on AREDS, Weinhardt said that a specific combination of ingredients is more important that single ingredients for vision health products, especially as it relates to reducing the risk for AMD. “This specific combination of ingredients is relevant because AMD is the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the industrialized world. AMD occurs in the light-sensitive cells of the macula found in the middle of the retina and is manifested by a blurring of the central vision,” she said.

Myers said that it may sound surprising, but her company uses grape seed in its vision health products. “This is an important point of differentiation: many grape seed extracts can have challenges with absorption and efficacy because they contain tannins and therefore have OPCs that are too large to be absorbed. And unfortunately, many grape seed extracts have proven to be adulterated with very little actual grape seed extract in the supplement. And that’s unfortunate for a variety of reasons, because grape seed extract at its best can be an excellent addition to an eye health supplement regimen,” she said.

She added that omega-3 fatty acids are also important to keep the blood vessel strong and flexible; other ingredients for optimal vision health include phospholipids, peptides and omega-7.

Myers noted that curcumin is another “unexpected” ingredient for vision health. “Its anti-inflammatory abilities alone are going to reduce damage due to aging, sun exposure and other causes.” She said that research shows it may also help prevent corneal disease and has protective effects against such ocular diseases as macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. Certain ingredients, Landis added, such as bilberry, can increase oxygenation and bring healing to the eye structure. “There are antioxidants that are consumed for protecting the eye against free radical damage: vitamins A, C and E, and then antioxidants everyone talks about that protects the macular and retina area: lutein, astaxanthin and zeaxanthin.”

Eye Health Products

At Betsy’s Health Foods, Billingslea said the store stocks around 23 different types of vision supplements in their two retail locations. “The bestsellers are our store brand Lutein Plus, which has lutein, zeaxanthin and bilberry, along with astaxanthin by itself. Most of the products in our store that sell well do so because they are the ones we walk to when customers ask questions,” she said.

“A growing product in this category in our store is Bluebonnet Nutrition’s new Eye Care product. Besides being a good product, it has the AREDS 2 on the label, which is what the customers are looking for,” she added.

Richard Cecere, manager of Country Life, a Georgia retailer, carries about 12 different vision health products, with his bestseller being Eyebright, either in capsule or powder form.

Hyalogic manufactures HylaVision, an oral supplement containing hyaluronic acid; it also features such ingredients as lutein, zeaxanthin, bilberry, zinc and vitamins A, C and E.

Viteyes offers a spectrum of eye health supplements, including lower zinc AREDS2 formulations, Viteyes Tear Support for occasional dry eye, and Blue Light defender supplements. The company’s bestseller is Viteyes Classes AREDS 2 capsules, which contains a lower zinc dosage, and neither soy nor red dyes.

“Many AREDS2 formulas contain 80 mg of zinc, which is double the NIH’s (National Institutes of Health) recommended upper tolerable level of zinc (40 mg),” Gers noted. “Viteyes AREDS 2 formulas all contain 25 mg of zinc which has been shown to be just as effective. Viteyes also offers an AREDS 2-based formula without zinc.”

The company is also planning on extending its Blue Light defender line over the next year.

Life Extension offers several products that address a broad range of eye health concerns. These include “ … products for general eye health, macular and retinal health, eye pressure support, tear support, gummies to support against blue light damage, eye drops for lubrication, support for night vision and eye fatigue,” said Chapman.

Life Extension’s bestselling product is MacuGuard Ocular Support with Saffron and Astaxanthin. “MacuGuard formulation delivers lutein, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin, saffron and more for comprehensive eye health support. Its key nutrients help protect the eye’s delicate photoreceptor cells, promote macular and retinal health, help fight eye fatigue and support healthy night vision,” said Chapman.

A new introduction is Gummy Science—Digital Eye Support, designed to replenish the nutrients the eyes lose when exposed to blue light. “The macular pigment in our eyes needs special nutrients called carotenoids to maintain the pigment density necessary to filter out blue light before it reaches the photoreceptors in the retina. So, we’ve created a delicious, berry-flavored gummy that delivers lutein and zeaxanthin to support eye health,” said Chapman. She added that providing good tasting gummies may encourage younger consumers to become more engaged in their eye health.

Bluebonnet’s top-selling vision health products are Zeaxanthin Plus Lutein Softgels, Standardized Bilberry Fruit Extract Vegetable Capsules, and a high potency combination formula called Bluebonnet’s Eye Antioxidant with Zeaxanthin Vegetable Capsules.

Offering two-fold support for age-related eye health, Weinhardt said that Bluebonnet’s most innovative formula is Targeted Choice EyeCare AREDS2 + Blue Vegetable Capsules, which offer clinically studied nutrients recommended by the National Eye Institute based on the AREDS2 study, as well as hyaluronic acid and sustainably harvested or wildcrafted super fruits (e.g., bilberry and wild blueberry) to help protect eyes from blue light.

EuroPharma’s vision health supplements include Clinical OPC (featuring French Grape Seed VX1, an absorbable, tannin-free extract); Vectomega (including omega-3s plus peptides bound to phospholipids); Omega-7 Dry Eye Relief (containing sea buckthorn); and CuraMed (containing BCM-95, the only patented curcumin blended with turmeric essential oil), which Myers said is a potential treatment for dry eyes but primarily an anti-inflammatory.

The Hyalogic HylaVision product’s hyaluronic acid is a critical component for maintaining fluid eye balance, according to Landis. He explained that hyaluronic acid is concentrated in the eyeball, giving the fluid inside the eye a gel-like property that brings nutrients to the eye and helps provide moisture. As we age, we produce less hyaluronic acid.

Consumer Education

Gers observed that in general, the vitamin supplement section can be overwhelming to the consumer. “Viteyes feels educating the patient/consumer, caregivers and doctors is vital. We offer education, continuing programs for eye specialists, doctor detailing, one-on-one meetings, web-based classes, free sampling programs and doctor referral programs that direct the patient to the retail store nearest them to purchase Viteyes,” said Gers.

Billingslea said her store publishes a health blog to help educate consumers, including articles about products for vision health. It also shares health stories on its Facebook page and provides links to these stories in customer emails. Still, she said that the best form of education is one-on-one on the sales floor, and the store ensures that staff is knowledgeable about the products for sale in the market.

Cecere said he points customers to The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia if they want to research remedies for specific ailments.

“We suggest retailers educate themselves beyond the marketing materials provided by each company. Retailers should ask companies/brands to help educate their staff members and get an understanding of the science behind each product,” said Chapman, adding that Life Extension maintains a strong call center network as well as a team of experts to provide free advice regarding health-related questions. The company also publishes a magazine, a disease prevention and treatment protocol and maintains an informative website.

Merchandising Help

Many manufacturers, such as Viteyes, offer support for retailers including in-store literature, displays, point of purchase materials and sampling.

Weinhardt suggested cross-merchandising to boost sales. For example, because it is important to eat a diet that provides carotenoids for optimal eye health, she suggested that stores find a way to highlight that when merchandising vision supplements. She also recommended offering consumer tips about how to preserve vision and protect it from blue light damage. Myers added that retailers can have fun with this category. For example, she said, “You can consider making an eye chart part of the centerpiece with vision-related products and literature radiating out from there. If it fosters interest, it may spark a conversation with customers and supplement purchases, too.” VR

For More Information:

Bluebonnet Nutrition, www.bluebonnetnutrition.com
EuroPharma, www.europharmausa.com
Hyalogic, www.hyalogic.com
Life Extension, www.lifeextension.com
Viteyes, www.viteyes.com

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