During these crazy times you want to go to the local vitamin store and get some vitamin c, vitamin d, quercetin and zinc, omega 3 or anything else that may help to boost your immune system . However you go and find the shelfs empty for what you are looking for. Fortifeye Vitamins will help to remedy this problem in the Tampa/ Clearwater area by opening a new nutrition center/ vitamin store in Clearwater on McMullen Booth road in Bay Side Plaza next to Publix. This will not be the typical vitamin store. The nutrition center will carry the entire line of Fortifeye Vitamins and Fortifeye Performance Nutrition line as well. These are vitamins usually found through your health care provider and are not sold at typical health food stores. The Clearwater vitamin center will also have other brands that have been hand picked by Dr Michael Lange and Doc…
Nutrition for dry eye is a subject I discuss with my patients on a daily basis. I have a very large dry eye patient population and have learned what works and what does not work over the last 25 years. I have used the traditional approach using a combination of heating and massaging the lid margins to open the meibomian glands, using a good artificial tear with hyaluronic acid like oasis tears plus or blink preservative free and cleaning the lids with a good lid hygiene foam like ocusoft or cliradex. So for dry eye 3 things are still crucial: cleaning, heating and lubricating. I have also used all the prescription medications available for dry eye over the past 25 years. Since I have become more in tune with the natural approach to dry eyes I find I prescribe medication very rarely now.
My nutritional protocol consists of 3 nutritional items I add to my patients. These nutrients not only help decrease dry eye symptoms and improve ocular surface disease but is very good for the entire body.
I always recommend two triglyceride form omega 3 fish oils like Fortifeye Super Omega. We have done omega index blood testing with Fortifeye Super Omega proving that two per day dosing in 100% of patients studied under 240 lbs would bring their omega index between 9.2-11%. The goal is to get over 8% to be in the heart healthy zone with omega 3. Studies I have conducted prove that about 1600 mg of triglyceride form omega 3 fish oil is all you need for this. The key is for the fish oil to be in the triglyceride form and not the more common unstable ethyl ester form. The triglyceride form of Omega 3 fish oil is 3 times more bio-available than the ethyl ester form. Omega 3 fish oil is great at helping to quell the inflammation in the eye lid margins and reduce signs and symptoms of meibomian gland dysfunction. I have been very impressed with the additional dry eye benefits we get when we have added 1 Fortifeye Focus pill to the 2 Super Omega. Fortifeye Focus is a combination of 3 carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin. This combination is not only great for the retina but has proven to lower inflammatory markers in the body. I have seen arrachidonic acid, c-reactive protein and cortisol levels come down in patients taking just 1 Fortifeye Focus daily. One of the root causes of dry eye is inflammation! The 6 mg of astaxanthin in Fortifeye Focus has also been proven to improve amplitude of accomadation in patients and reduce eye strain and fatigue. Most people with dry eye also exhibit tired fatigued eyes as well. The combination of a Fortifeye Super Omega (2 per day) along with Fortifeye Focus (1 per day) or the equivalent nutrients in another brand work synergistically together at decreasing dry eye symptoms and improving ocular surface disease clinical presentations.
Fortifeye Focus works together with Fortifeye Super Omega at helping to reduce dry and tired eye symptoms.
Fortifeye Super Omega 2-4 per day for dry eyes
Over the last 15 years I have been involved in nutritional research for macular degeneration and I have found one of the biggest deficiencies in our patients with ARMD is glutathione. Glutathione is the master antioxidant in our body and is responsible for protection of our entire body against free radical damage and inflammation. The best way to stimulate glutathione is with the consumption of a non denatured whey protein concentrate. I have found that once many of my ARMD patients glutathione deficiencies went away their dry eye symptoms often times improved. I started using non denatured whey protein concentrates and isolates from grass fed new Zealand cows and have been amazed at the positive response from my patients. Many of my patients with dry eye symptoms have improved with the addition of the grass fed whey protein. New science has proven that patients with certain types of dry eye syndrome have deficient levels of lactoferrin in their tears. One of the best ways to stimulate and increase lactoferrin levels in the body is by consuming a grass fed whey protein concentrate. So is it the lactoferrin in the whey protein that has helped these patients? I think it may be a combination of many of the anti aging attributes a good non denatured grass fed whey protein concentrate have that has been beneficial. The key here is to make sure your protein is a non denatured grass fed whey protein concentrate! This type of protein has the correct ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 and will help reduce inflammation in the body versus a grain fed cows milk used for whey protein. Grass fed whey concentrate is high in CLA a good fat, glutathione precursor cysteine, Leucine the most important amino acid for building muscle, lactoferrin and many other immune boosting nutrients. here is a link discussing the science behind grass fed whey protein https://grassfedwheyproteinconcentrate.wordpress.com/
So in summary , proper nutrition for dry eye really works well! I recommend a combination of Tg form omega 3 fish oil, lutein, zeaxantin , astaxanthin and a good non denatured whey protein concentrate from grass fed cows. The three I use daily in clinical practice are Fortifeye Super Omega, Fortifeye Focus and Fortifeye Super Protein.
Lastly many people have poor digestion and have compromised health and dry eyes as a result. If you have digestive issues, bloating and gas you may benefit form taking digestive enzymes with your meals and a good probiotic first thing in the am and right before bed. Fortifeye Digestive enzymes and Fortifeye Probiotic Bacteria are great with anyone with these digestive issues. I have seen many patients improve dry eye symptoms when their digestion improves. link to article on digestive help http://drmichaellangeoptometrist.me/2014/11/24/dr-michael-lange-discusses-proper-digestion-for-good-ocular-health-and-overall-health/
Use proper nutrition to help improve your dry eyes and you will gain some valuable overall heath benefits as well. Heres to your health!
Dry Eye Treatment and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction a Natural Approach is a culmination of over 20 years of natural treatments for dry eye developed by Michael Lange OD. Dr. Michael Lange says if these steps are explained in detail to the patient and are followed carefully a vast improvement in dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction will be a result. Michael Lange OD, CNS is one of a select group of eye care providers that is a certified nutrition specialist as well. Dr. Lange is involved in the research and development of nutritional supplements for eye care and whole body wellness. Dr Michael Lange founded Lange Eye care and Associates 3/15/1993 and has grown to 10 locations in Florida. The Lange Eye institute in the Villages Florida is one of the largest Nutrition oriented eye care centers in the world. The Lange Eye Institute is the home to many nutritional…
Michael Lange OD, CNS discusses Natural Dry eye treatment and meibomian gland dysfunction. I have seen what the power of proper nutrition , heat with gentle massage, proper lid hygiene and a good lubricating eye drops can do for my dry eye patients. In clinical practice for over 20 years I have helped dry eye patients from all over the world . The goal is to eliminate the microbial flora that blocks the meibomian glands, cut inflammation in the glands and unclog the meibomian glands so they secrete a healthy tear film. If the steps are followed religiously then a very high percent of patients will improve.
1. lid scrubs with a good lid foam similar to occusoft foam or cliradex, If lids are quite inflamed and red and crusty the combination of both work quite well. Scrub lashes first with occusoft then rub the Cliradex onto lashes and lids before bed. This combination will rid the eyes of blepharitis. This gets rid of the microbes like demodex, staph and seboreha that clog the meibomian glands, An inexpensive option is using baby shampoo to gently scrub the lashes then rinse with warm water.
2. Take omega 3 fish in the triglyceride form with a minimum of 1600 mg of combined EPA and DHA. When reading the label make sure it says triglyceride form or TG form, if it doesn’t state this then it is ethyl ester form of omega 3 and contains ethanol. I recommend staying away from this form of oil due to its unstable molecule and can go rancid quickly plus not as bio available as TG form. 2 Fortifeye Super Omega gives you the ratio or omega 3 necessary to help dry eyes if you weigh less than 240 lbs. If over 240 lbs I recommend taking 3-4 Fortifeye Super Omega. For really dry eyes I also recommend taking 6 mg of astaxanthin ( fortifeye focus) and Black Currant Seed oil with 140-160 mg of GLA. GLA for dry eyes in the right combination to omega 3 fish oil is beneficial. Astaxanthin is a super potent antioxidant and anti inflammatory and is my favorite single nutrient. If you are not taking a good multi vitamin that has no beta carotene then I recommend taking Fortifeye Once Daily to ensure there are no nutrition deficiencies aggravating a dry eye condition.
3. Massaging and heating the lid margins is crucial to unclog the meibomian glands so the glands can secrete the important outer lipid layer of tear film. 10-15 minutes 2 times a day. The use of a warm wash cloth is an inexpensive way to do this but I have found that the Brueder Mask is the best way to continuously treat this condition. This is a mask that you put in microwave for 20 seconds and then Velcro around your face for 10-15 minutes two times a day. The heat and massage will open up the glands and release the toxins and microbial flora that has been chronically blocking the meibomian glands and causing a dry eye condition. The use of the brueder mask will also minimize circles and bags under the eyes. This mask can be purchased from www.fortifeye.com
4. a good unpreserved lubricating eye drop that has hyluranic acid in it tends to last much longer and be more effective and helping reduce dry eye symptomatology than the typical otc eye drops. . I recommend either Oasis tears plus or Blink. For the extreme dry eyes and meibomian gland dysfunction I like to use either oasis tears or blinks as well as the addition of a relatively new unpreserved artificial tear called Retain MGD. This combination helps to replenish all layers of the tear film and reduce dry eye symptoms dramatically.
Following these four steps will help improve your dry eye however it will take up to four months of faithfully following these directions to get significant improvements in this condition. I have 1000s of patients through out the world that have been helped with these steps. I recommend all readers of this blog see their local optometrist or ophthalmologist if they have any problems with their eyes. This blog is for educational purposes only. If you are in the Florida area come by one of the nine Lange Eye Care locations. www.langeeyecare.com , www.drmichaellange.com
Everything discussed in this article can be purchased at www.fortifeye.com or u can call 866 503 9746
Michael Lange OD, CNS (Board Certified Optometric Physician and Certified Nutrition Specialist) 9/28/2013
revised article by Dr. Michael Lange 5/1/2017
The day I graduated in 1992 is the day I began looking for natural approaches to help my patients. I have tried just about every combination of vitamins and minerals in an effort to improve ocular and overall health. I started the Fortifeye Vitamin company and became a certified nutrition specialist in my quest to find the nutritional answers I was looking for. I have been involved and am currently involved in ongoing nutritional research aimed at helping patients. Since I live and practice in Florida one of the biggest problems I encounter with my patients is dry eye syndrome.
Dr. Lange and his flagship the Lange Eye Institute
The Lange Eye Institute in The Villages Florida is a destination for many looking for a more natural approach for there dry eye problems. It seems that just about everyone in the Florida area has some form of dry eye and some are quite severe and debilitating . Dry eye nutrition is an area I have been involved in for numerous years. I have developed and re developed many dry eye vitamins over the years and finally I am able to make recommendations to patients that really works.
Fortifeye Super Omega 2-4 per day for dry eyes
I started an omega 3 index study years ago and found that the majority of my patients were omega 3 deficient. Most of these patients were taking some form of omega 3 supplement they bought from the local drug store or bought off an infomercial or the internet. Surprisingly even though they were taking omega 3 supplements they were still deficient. I went on a fact-finding research trip to Norway and visited the leading omega 3 factories in the world. I gained some valuable knowledge on this trip and I started using the triglyceride form of omega three fish oil in much higher concentrations and found that my patients omega index started to rise. The omega index is the ratio of omega three to omega six in the blood. I also noticed that many of my patients that had low omega index also had quite dry eyes. Once we were able to bring their omega index over 9% many of these patients dry eye symptoms would start to vanish. All of this new insight into omega 3 and the potential it had to help patients with dry eye sparked my interest in developing a super potent triglyceride form omega 3 supplement. In early 2010 I formulated Fortifeye Super Omega. I took all the information I had researched and put it all into this formula. Fortifeye super omega is a triglyceride form Omega 3 fish oil derived from small non predatory fish like sardines and anchovies. It has been purified through a triple distillation process that is free of essentially all potential contaminants. I have made it so it is in a chewable from that has a very good taste for those that have difficulty swallowing pills. After development I did an omega index study to prove that it had a therapeutic effect. In our study of approximately 100 patients everyone in the study that was 240 lbs or less registered an omega index over 9% after one month of being on two per day dosage. This proved to me that Fortifeye Super Omega could make a difference. Well after 5 years we have 1000s of doctors and patients that are taking Fortifeye Super Omega throughout the world. Many patients with dry eyes have improved dramatically by consuming the appropriate form and concentration of omega 3.
Number one on my list for dry eye vitamins would have to be Omega 3 fish oil in the triglyceride form. I recommend taking an EPA of 850-900 and a DHA of 550-600 for the typical person weighing less than 240 lbs. If you have mild dry eyes I think this is enough omega 3 however if you have marked dry eyes then I will double the amount of omega three to four per day dosing which is in a range of 1700 -1800 EPA and 1100-1200 DHA. These ratios of omega 3 have been used successfully on 1000s of patients. The key here is to take Fish oil in the re esterified triglyceride form not the ethyl ester form. This form of fish oil absorbs much more readily and is much more stable and thus no nasty burp back. The majority of omega 3 fish oils you can purchase otc are the ethyl ester form and are relatively weak concentrations. Please stay away from krill oil since there isn’t a krill on the market that I am aware of that has anywhere near the amounts of omega 3 that you need to realistically help dry eye syndrome. These concentrations of omega-3 will help with ocular surface inflammatory conditions like Meibomian gland dysfunction, dry eye syndrome and blepharitis.
Fortifeye Focus works together with Fortifeye Super Omega at helping to reduce dry and tired eye symptoms.
There is one other supplement that acts synergistically with omega three fish oil and this is Astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is a super potent antioxidant and anti inflammatory. Astaxanthin has been shown in studies to improve accommodative ability in the eye and reduce eye fatigue symptoms. Astaxanthin helps improve muscle endurance and reduce muscle fatigue. Studies indicate it can lower cholesterol and c-reactive protein. It is also a good natural uv absorber helping to prevent UV damage to the eye and skin. New studies suggest that it can improve circulation to the choroid. I developed a supplement that contains 6 mg of astaxanthin along with 10 mg of lutein and 2mg of zeaxanthin isomers called Fortifeye Focus. I have found that the addition of this supplement to the omega 3 fish oil enhances the anti inflammatory actions and decreases symptoms of dry tired eyes better than omega 3 alone. The combination of a good triglyceride form omega three with the Fortifeye Focus is great at helping to alleviate dry tired eyes. I usually like to add a good multivitamin like Fortifeye Complete or something equivalent to make sure the patient is getting all the nutrients necessary for the body to heal itself. I also like to add a good grass-fed non denatured whey protein concentrate in a smoothie or shake to all my patients especially the older patients. Non denatured Whey protein concentrate is the most bio available form of protein and is the best way to stimulate the master anti oxidant in the body known as glutathione. Many blood tests I have done on patients with dry eye have revealed a glutathione deficiency. Glutathione levels decrease with age and dry eyes increase with age. I have developed a non denatured whey protein concentrate from New Zealand grass-fed A2 cows called Fortifeye Super Protein to help stimulate glutathione in everyone that takes it. A grass fed Whey protein concentrate is one of the best ways to detoxify the body and build the immune system by stimulating glutathione production. This form of whey protein is also very high in a multifunctional protein called lactoferrin that is deficient in the tears of many patients with dry eyes. I feel since a whey protein concentrate from grass-fed cows stimulates both lactoferrin and glutathione it is a good idea for all dry eye patients to consume this valuable protein. Learn about the science behind Fortifeye Super Protein here : www.newzealandwheyproteinconcentrate.com
Most of my patients will do extremely well with this regiment if they have dry eyes as long as they practice good lid hygiene and use a good unpreserved artificial tear like Oasis tears plus, Blink Preservative free or Retaine. However in some very stubborn cases of dry eye I will add GLA from Black currant seed oil to stimulate Series one prostaglandins , PGE1, is the anti inflammatory pathway of the omega six pathway. I like a ten to one ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 (gla) so 1600 mg of omega 3 to 160 mg of GLA from black currant seed oil.
Lastly most dry eye patients are dehydrated and therefore can also be deficient in potassium. Dehydration and potassium deficiency can be contributing factors to dry eyes. So I recommend they drink at least two large glasses of organic coconut water to help hydrate and gain some potassium and also drink half their body weight in ounces of glass bottled spring water or carbon filtered well water. To learn more about dehydration and dry eye go to www.dryeyenutrition.net , or www.dryeyenutrition.org .
So in summary take a good triglyceride form omega 3 fish oil 2-4 per day (fortifeye Super Omega), take 6mg of astaxanthin (Fortifeye Focus), a good multivitamin/ eye vitamin ( Fortifeye once daily or fortifeye complete, a non denatured whey protein concentrate from grass-fed A2 cows ( Fortifeye Super Protein) shake once a day, drink a couple of glasses of organic coconut water a day and finally 160 mg of GLA combined with the rest if dry eyes still a problem. I also recommend changing to an Organic, gluten-free Paleo diet to help with dry eye as well as overall health. When snacking be very careful because most snacks are filled with pro inflammatory ingredients. I love paleo bars and Paleo crunch from a company called Paleo Simplified. Their paleo bars use the best superfood and are low glycemic index with no binders , fillers or toxic dyes. Paleo Simplified is a great snack for everyone that actually has potent antioxidant and anti inflammatory effects. Learn more at Www.paleosimplified.com.
I will have an article in the near future on diet for dry eyes. To learn more about Fortifeye Vitamins and to order go to www.fortifeye.com
Keep the faith
Dr. Michael Lange, Optometric physician and Certified Nutrition Specialist
Dry Eye Vitamins 