Q. Dear Terry, “Do you have any recommendations for getting rid of eye floaters?”– Jakob B., Minnetonka, MN

A. Dear Jakob, Eye floaters can be due to many issues: injury, surgery, conditions like diabetes, and aging. Floaters can indicate damage or weakness to the blood vessels that nourish our eyes. The blood vessels that feed our eyes are some of the tiniest in our body, called capillaries.
To strengthen your capillaries, I believe you would benefit greatly by adding grape seed extract to your daily regimen. Grape seed extract is one of the most potent natural medicines for our blood vessels. Grape seed helps to protect the blood vessel walls from free radical activity, which can cause weakness or damage.

When looking for a grape seed extract, it is important to choose one that is standardized to contain only OPCs that are small enough to be absorbed, so you’ll get the maximum benefits. Many extracts contain tannins, which are too large to be effectively absorbed and don’t contribute to your health the same way that OPCs do. However, these tannins are counted as OPCs and enhance the label claim, even though they cannot be absorbed! Look for tannin-free French grape seed extract for maximum benefits.

In addition to French grape seed extract, there are some vitamins and nutrients that are important for eye health. Vitamin A and zinc work together so effectively that it’s hard to talk about one without the other. Vitamin A is key for eye health, including the strength and integrity of the lens (the front and center portion of the eye) and macula, plus reduces oxidative stress in the eyes. Zinc is necessary for vitamin A to function. Low levels of these nutrients can put someone at risk of vision issues, including floaters.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are naturally concentrated in the macula, the central part of the retina where incoming light and images are focused. These nutrients are found in some fruits and vegetables that are rich in carotenoids, but many people aren’t consuming enough of these nutrients from diet alone. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the conditions that can lead to floaters. Protecting the macula may help reduce the risk of AMD and other eye issues that can result in floaters.

I would take 1,500 mcg (5,000 IU) of vitamin A (as retinyl acetate), 30 mg of zinc (from zinc bisglycinate chelate), 100 mg of French grape seed extract (standardized to high levels of polyphenols and tannin-free OPCs), 10 mg of lutein (from marigold flower extract), and 500 mcg of zeaxanthin (from marigold flower extract), twice per day.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally