A new study published in the Translational Vision Science and Technology journal has demonstrated that targeted nutrition can significantly reduce the occurrence of ‘eye floaters’ and their associated discomforts.
The study reported the outcomes of the Floater Intervention Study (FLIES), a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial led by the Nutrition Centre Ireland in collaboration with local optometrists.
Improvements in the appearance of floaters was found following a six-month dietary intervention with a formulation consisting of l-lysine, vitamin C, vitis vinifera extract, zinc and citrus aurantium.
‘This trial provides the evidence to support the use of targeted nutritional intervention as a management strategy for vitreous floaters,’ explained main researcher Dr Emmanuel Ankamah.
‘This gives us more confidence that using antioxidative and antiglycation micronutrients can improve vitreous health.’
Professor John Nolan, the director of the NRCI and principal investigator of the FLIES trial, said: “This study is very interesting, as it is the first of its kind to examine the benefits of nutritional supplementation for patients suffering with vitreous floaters. Notably, a large percentage of patients (77%) on the active supplement demonstrated a reduction in vitreous floaters and associated improvements in vision-related quality of life was seen in 67% of patients.