Are eye health supplements effective?

Maybe: We need to separate prevention from treatment. Supplements such as areds vitamins for macular degeneration have proven to be useful. For prevention, the observed effects are smaller so it is much more difficult to see benefit. A multivitamin can be helpful with extra antioxidants. We just don't want to cause harm. Check with your eye doctor and better still, just live "healthy.".

To some degree: Most supplements have little benefit for the eye's health. A large study called areds found that patients at high risk for developing macular degeneration showed decreased risk with use of a combination of vitamins a, e, c, zinc and copper. No other scientific study has shown a true benefit (or necessity) of supplements to ward off disease in otherwise healthy eyes.

Possibly: Supplements to prevent macular degeneration (amd) are only useful if someone is at high risk, such as children of patients with amd, and patients with certain types of precursor retinal conditions such as drusen. I do not recommend supplements as a general rule in young, healthy patients with no risk factors. Eating a diet heavy with leafy green vegetables is a better way to achieve the goal.