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Greetings,
I've been a dry eye sufferer for 25 years. Now at the age of 51, I've learned some things that I wanted to pass on to visitors at the Dry Eye Zone.
I first found out about nutritional supplements for dry eyes about 10 years ago when someone told me to try Evening Primrose Oil. I was shocked to find that it worked dramatically for me. When watching tear-jerking scenes on TV, I would have to reach for the kleenex. Unfortunately you had to take about six capsules a day and it left a nasty aftertaste for hours. I eventually stopped using it and relied on artificial tears.
About 2 years ago my dry eyes were getting worse and I was using AT 10-15 times a day without much relief. I decided to look into Evening Primrose Oil again. Searching on the internet, I found a product called HydroEye, which contained the same active ingredient, Gamma Linolenic Acid, this time from Black Currant Seed oil.
Well, I didn't have much luck with HydroEye, largely because of that nasty aftertaste. I just could not make myself take it often enough to generate any useful effect. Flax seed oil was being mentioned in some of the eye care journals, but it tasted even worse to me. I started searching for other products that might contain Gamma Linolenic Acid. The oil that had the highest percentage of GLA was Borage oil, from the seeds of the borage flower. It is about 24% GLA. It can also be obtained at a very reasonable cost from various internet health food retailers.
After a week or two, I started experiencing the same dramatic increase in tear production that I had 10 years ago with large doses of evening primrose oil. I found that two 1000 mg capsules per day was a good amount for me.
A couple of caveats:
Dry eye can have many different causes. I think that GLA increases aqeous tear production. If you try Borage Oil for a few weeks with no effect, it may be that your dry eye is caused by something else.
You may note that GLA is an Omega-6 fatty acid, which is not currently in fashion. Most people are seeking to increase their intake of Omega-3s. I have no idea what effect GLA has on cholesterol. It did not seem to affect mine, but those with high cholesterol might want to combine GLA with flax seed oil just to be safe.
GLA can cause a mild laxative effect, depending on how much you ingest.
There is also one other oil that contains 24% GLA. It is called Siberian Pine Nut Oil. I found it on the net and ordered a bottle. It has the same beneficial effect as the Borage Oil capsules and tastes great, a lot like pine nuts. You can use it like olive oil on bread or salads, but it is easy to eat too much and have more laxative effect than you might want.
Michael S. Brown, OD
Kaiser Permanente
Vancouver, WA
Here is a handout that I give to my patients who ask about oral therapy for dry eye. I mention Theratears Nutrition here so that patients have a choice, but my guess is that Borage Oil is the more effective therapy.
-------------patient handout----------------------
Two Nutritional Supplements for Chronic Dry Eye Therapy
In cases where a chronic dry eye condition is not adequately controlled with the use of artificial tears, I recommend trying certain nutritional supplements. There is one available that is specifically marketed for dry eye therapy and another that is a generic food supplement.
Theratears Nutrition is a new name brand product that is available at most supermarkets in the area. It can be found in the eye care section next to the Theratears eye drops. Look for a light blue box. Theratears Nutrition contains flax seed oil and fish oil that supply Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are also claimed to be good for you in other ways too, so they are currently getting a lot of favorable media attention. The recommended dosage is four capsules per day. I think it is worth trying this product for a month.
If Theratears Nutrition does not work for you, an alternative is a generic food supplement called Borage Oil. This oil is pressed from the seeds of the borage flower and is available in capsule form from most health food stores or from internet retailers.
The active ingredient in Borage Oil is gamma -linolenic acid (GLA). This is an Omega-6 fatty acid, which does not get the same praise from health experts as the Omega-3s. The typical dosage for a medium to large adult would be 2 grams a day or two 1000 milligram softgel capsules. The only common side effects are a slight aftertaste and a mild laxative effect. Borage Oil is about 24% GLA which makes it a relatively cheap and convenient source. Other sources are Evening Primrose Oil (10% GLA) and Black Currant Seed Oil (15% GLA).
I suggest starting with one 1000 mg capsule of Borage Oil per day for 3 days. If there are no problems, then increase to two capsules per day, one in the morning and one at night. It makes no difference if it is taken with meals or not, just do what works best for you. Increased tear production should start to be noticeable in about a week. Maximum effect occurs in about 3-6 weeks.
Anecdotal reports suggest that the good effects of both products may last for a few weeks or months after you stop taking the capsules, but it is very unlikely that the improvement is permanent.
I've been a dry eye sufferer for 25 years. Now at the age of 51, I've learned some things that I wanted to pass on to visitors at the Dry Eye Zone.
I first found out about nutritional supplements for dry eyes about 10 years ago when someone told me to try Evening Primrose Oil. I was shocked to find that it worked dramatically for me. When watching tear-jerking scenes on TV, I would have to reach for the kleenex. Unfortunately you had to take about six capsules a day and it left a nasty aftertaste for hours. I eventually stopped using it and relied on artificial tears.
About 2 years ago my dry eyes were getting worse and I was using AT 10-15 times a day without much relief. I decided to look into Evening Primrose Oil again. Searching on the internet, I found a product called HydroEye, which contained the same active ingredient, Gamma Linolenic Acid, this time from Black Currant Seed oil.
Well, I didn't have much luck with HydroEye, largely because of that nasty aftertaste. I just could not make myself take it often enough to generate any useful effect. Flax seed oil was being mentioned in some of the eye care journals, but it tasted even worse to me. I started searching for other products that might contain Gamma Linolenic Acid. The oil that had the highest percentage of GLA was Borage oil, from the seeds of the borage flower. It is about 24% GLA. It can also be obtained at a very reasonable cost from various internet health food retailers.
After a week or two, I started experiencing the same dramatic increase in tear production that I had 10 years ago with large doses of evening primrose oil. I found that two 1000 mg capsules per day was a good amount for me.
A couple of caveats:
Dry eye can have many different causes. I think that GLA increases aqeous tear production. If you try Borage Oil for a few weeks with no effect, it may be that your dry eye is caused by something else.
You may note that GLA is an Omega-6 fatty acid, which is not currently in fashion. Most people are seeking to increase their intake of Omega-3s. I have no idea what effect GLA has on cholesterol. It did not seem to affect mine, but those with high cholesterol might want to combine GLA with flax seed oil just to be safe.
GLA can cause a mild laxative effect, depending on how much you ingest.
There is also one other oil that contains 24% GLA. It is called Siberian Pine Nut Oil. I found it on the net and ordered a bottle. It has the same beneficial effect as the Borage Oil capsules and tastes great, a lot like pine nuts. You can use it like olive oil on bread or salads, but it is easy to eat too much and have more laxative effect than you might want.
Michael S. Brown, OD
Kaiser Permanente
Vancouver, WA
Here is a handout that I give to my patients who ask about oral therapy for dry eye. I mention Theratears Nutrition here so that patients have a choice, but my guess is that Borage Oil is the more effective therapy.
-------------patient handout----------------------
Two Nutritional Supplements for Chronic Dry Eye Therapy
In cases where a chronic dry eye condition is not adequately controlled with the use of artificial tears, I recommend trying certain nutritional supplements. There is one available that is specifically marketed for dry eye therapy and another that is a generic food supplement.
Theratears Nutrition is a new name brand product that is available at most supermarkets in the area. It can be found in the eye care section next to the Theratears eye drops. Look for a light blue box. Theratears Nutrition contains flax seed oil and fish oil that supply Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are also claimed to be good for you in other ways too, so they are currently getting a lot of favorable media attention. The recommended dosage is four capsules per day. I think it is worth trying this product for a month.
If Theratears Nutrition does not work for you, an alternative is a generic food supplement called Borage Oil. This oil is pressed from the seeds of the borage flower and is available in capsule form from most health food stores or from internet retailers.
The active ingredient in Borage Oil is gamma -linolenic acid (GLA). This is an Omega-6 fatty acid, which does not get the same praise from health experts as the Omega-3s. The typical dosage for a medium to large adult would be 2 grams a day or two 1000 milligram softgel capsules. The only common side effects are a slight aftertaste and a mild laxative effect. Borage Oil is about 24% GLA which makes it a relatively cheap and convenient source. Other sources are Evening Primrose Oil (10% GLA) and Black Currant Seed Oil (15% GLA).
I suggest starting with one 1000 mg capsule of Borage Oil per day for 3 days. If there are no problems, then increase to two capsules per day, one in the morning and one at night. It makes no difference if it is taken with meals or not, just do what works best for you. Increased tear production should start to be noticeable in about a week. Maximum effect occurs in about 3-6 weeks.
Anecdotal reports suggest that the good effects of both products may last for a few weeks or months after you stop taking the capsules, but it is very unlikely that the improvement is permanent.
. I love extra virgin olive oil on salads but will look up the Siberian Pine Nut Oil and maybe give it a whirl. I like pine nuts a lot.
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