nutrition

This post is part of BostonSight's archival content and was originally authored by Janice M. Epstein in June 2015. Content has been updated to be current.  This content is informational in nature and should not be considered medical advice. Please reach out to your medical professional for questions about Vitamin D and how it may impact your vision.  The Vitamin D Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reliable and evidence-based information about vitamin D, notes that researchers consider the lack of sufficient vitamin D to be pandemic. You’ve no doubt heard about many potential health benefits of vitamin D as well as negative effects that may occur with inadequate levels of this vitamin. Research has even revealed some interesting discoveries correlating vitamin D and eye health. As the days become shorter and the weather becomes colder, we head indoors and naturally receive less vitamin D from the sun.  Patients with ocular surface disease may be interested in the anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin D and the research findings that it is involved in tear fluids and the corneal epithelial cells that help regulate tear film. Here’s a primer on vitamin D along with a brief review of research on vitamin D and eye health. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that is necessary for human health. This vitamin is critical for bone health and also plays an important role in cell growth, neuromuscular function, the immune system, endothelial cells, and reduction of inflammation. The human body makes vitamin D by synthesizing [...]