Foods have such a profound effect upon the health of the eyes that in countries where diets have been particularly inadequate--India, Egypt, China--every manner of eye disease, including blindness, has been rampant.

Vitamin A And Vision

Visual problems associated with a mild lack of vitamin A include quick tiring of the eyes, sensitivity to bright lights and glare, dimness of vision at night (a common cause of car accidents), less acute day vision, and susceptibility to such infections as sties, conjunctivitis, iritis, and corneal ulcers. Persons taking fewer than 5,000 units of vitamin A daily have an abnormal thickening of the conjunctiva and sometimes degeneration of the optic nerve. In America, severe vitamin-A deficiencies are common among persons whose bile flow is inadequate.

An eye abnormality known as Bitot's spots appears to be caused by a combined lack of vitamin A and protein; when 50,000 units of the vitamin have been given daily with milk protein, improvement has been "surprisingly quick."

Retinitis pigmentosa, characterized by a slow but eventually total degeneration of the retina, causes blindness in thousands of Americans annually, and is preceded by years of night blindness and other signs of vitamin-A deficiency. The vitamin A in the blood of persons with this disease is far below normal; they appear not to absorb the vitamin well. When vitamin A has been given by injection "the improvement was prompt and startling." In such cases, water-dispersed vitamin A, oil, bile tablets, lecithin, and generous amounts of vitamin E should be obtained daily.

A Lack Of Vitamin B2

The eye symptoms occurring when vitamin B2 is under supplied vary as the deficiency changes from mild to severe. Sensitivity to bright light, faulty vision in dim illumination, and eyes that water readily are noticeable first. When strained, the eyes may become bloodshot and/or painful on exposure to glare. Bits of mucus often accumulate at the base of the lashes, especially while asleep. If the deficiency becomes acute, the skin at the outer corners of the eyes may split and the eyes burn and become fiery red.

When as few as 5 milligrams of vitamin B2 have been given daily, a wide variety of eye symptoms have been alleviated: watering, burning, and itching eyes and sandy eyelids; intolerance to light; abnormally dilated pupils; blurred and dim vision; inability to see under poor illumination, or twilight blindness; increased winking of eyelids (also characteristic of vitamin B6 and/or magnesium deficiencies); inability to focus sharply; and eyestrain, particularly after doing close work.

Less common symptoms have also been corrected by vitamin B2: disturbances in recognizing colors, objects, and people; inability to see more than part of an image or a portion of a printed page; conjunctivitis, iritis, and rubiosis iritis, meaning red iris; the seeing of flickering and disappearing images and/or halos around bright lights or objects; and dark spots in front of eyes, or corneal opacities, said to be caused by dead cells, accumulations of white blood cells, and/or bits of scar tissue.

Corneal ulcers have been cleared up when vitamin B2 has been given, but if allowed to go untreated, can result in scar tissue that causes permanent damage. Such ulcers, bloodshot eyes, dark spots before the eyes, and other symptoms, however, have also developed in persons lacking vitamins B6, C, and pantothenic acid. In animals, corneal ulcers occur when the diet is deficient in protein or anyone of the essential amino acids. Since such diverse deficiencies can cause visual difficulties, the diet for a person with eye problems should be particularly adequate in all respects.

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David Crawford is the CEO and owner of a Penis Enlargement Truth Or Fiction company known as Male Enhancement Group which is dedicated to researching and comparing male enhancement products in order to determine which male enhancement product is safer and more effective than other products on the market. Copyright 2010 David Crawford of Do Male Enhancement Supplements Work This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.