How blackcurrants can support eye health, reduce visual fatigue and age-proof vision

IF you’re looking to nourish your eyes, blackcurrants offer some impressive benefits.

Of all berries, blackcurrants offer an array of health properties, but not many people know that their effect on vision was the first reported benefit, with World War I pilots using blackcurrants to aid their night-time flying missions.

Research has shown that blackcurrants support eye health due to their antioxidant activity and by increasing blood flow through the optic nerve and micro-vessels, which are critical to maintaining eye health.  

Over three billion people in the world require spectacles and science shows that today’s society would benefit highly from the health properties of this berry. Their high antioxidant content is very effective in fighting free radicals - destructive to eye health - while helping maintain and improve healthy vision.

Blackcurrant anthocyanins are also prized for their effect on blood flow and offer benefits for vision problems attributable to impaired blood supply in the eye caused by aging, diabetes and working with computers and visual display terminals. Several studies have shown how CurraNZ blackcurrant extract improves the body's blood flow by up to 35%. This figure can increase with continued use of 7 or more days of 600mg / 2 capsules (up to 45% improved blood flow).

The leading causes of vision impairment and blindness are primarily age-related eye diseases – age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. The tiny blood vessels in the eye can suffer poor blood flow and 'corrosion' from excess levels of glucose in the blood. Research has shown that flavonoids and antioxidants, such as those found in blackcurrants, are beneficial for preventing and slowing the decline in these conditions. 

The widespread use of computers and devices in the home and workplace are big contributors to eye fatigue, strain and blurring. Plus, stress, air pollution, excessive exposure to TV radiation are also among the leading causes for the vision problems worldwide. Regardless of your age, blackcurrants offer a brilliant strategy to support your eye health, whatever your stage of life.