Long-Lasting Relief for Dry Eye

Dry eye syndrome is an annoyance, causing redness, itching, and other frustrating symptoms.

This condition occurs when the eyes don’t produce enough quality tears.²

When dry eye syndrome becomes severe, and is left untreated, it can lead to permanent eye damage.¹

Prevalence of dry eye syndrome is growing with greater use of smartphones, tablets, computers, and other digital screens.³

It has been estimated to affect about 16 million Americans.⁴

Many turn to over-the-counter eye drops, which provide short-term relief but don’t address underlying causes.

Prescription treatments are available but can have side effects and may provide only symptomatic relief.⁵

Here’s the good news: Scientists have identified a berry extract that combats dry eyes the natural way, by boosting the body’s own production of real tears.⁶

A pilot study found that, taken orally, a maqui berry extract provided a 72% improvement in dry eye symptoms after 60 days.⁶

A larger clinical trial showed that maqui extract, taken orally for four weeks increased tear production by 89%, protecting the eyes and improving quality of life.⁷

Possible Eye Damage

Dry eye syndrome can be caused by aging, wearing contact lenses, dry weather, air pollution, smoking, and allergies.⁵ It can also be associated with some medical conditions or can even occur after eye surgery.^4,5 Use of computers, smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other digital screens often worsens the condition.^8,9

The symptoms of dry eyes can include itching, burning, light sensitivity, and blurred vision.⁴ The discomfort and visual disturbances from dry eyes can impact quality of life.¹⁰ Studies have shown that the irritation of dry eyes is associated with lower scores on mental health scales,^10,11 including depression and anxiety.¹²

Even worse, without treatment, chronic dry eyes can cause eye damage.^1,4

Tears are essential for lubricating and protecting the cornea, the front central surface of the eye. They protect the eye from infection, wash away foreign matter, and deliver critical nutrients to the surface.^13,14

As a result, dry eyes can eventually damage the cornea. If severe and left untreated, ulceration and scarring of the cornea can lead to permanent impairment of vision.⁵

Tear Quantity and Quality Matter

There are three layers of natural tears: oil, water, and mucus.¹⁵

The eye surface is lubricated, nourished, and protected by the normal, if tiny, amount of tears normally produced daily, about 0.7 mL to over 3 mL per eye.⁶

People affected by dry eye syndrome either:⁵

• Don’t produce enough tears, or
• Have tears that evaporate too quickly.

Maqui Berry Restores Tears

Seeking a solution, scientists identified maqui berries, a fruit found in Chile, abundant in anthocyanidin pigments called delphinidins. Maqui berries and delphinidins exhibit protective effects to support eye and vision health.^6,16

Researchers have found in preclinical studies that a standardized extract of delphinidin-rich maqui berries may:^16,17

• Provide protection to the eye and tear producing lacrimal gland by reducing levels of free radicals,¹⁶
• Inhibit harm from light exposure, protecting critical photoreceptor cells that convert light into signals sent to the brain,¹⁷ and
• Help restore production of natural, high-quality tears.¹⁶

Taken orally, an extract of maqui berries has been shown to boost natural tear production, delivering relief for dry and irritated eyes.^6,7 This, in turn, may help prevent the damage that can occur with long term, unmanaged dry eyes.

This eye benefit of maqui berry extract was seen in a rat model of dry eyes. The rats were randomized to receive pretreatment with maqui berry extract and with placebo.

Pretreatment with maqui berry extract significantly prevented loss of tears as compared to placebo. The animals pretreated with maqui berry extract retained clear eyes with no new corneal damage throughout the study.¹⁶

Compelling Pilot Study

In a pilot clinical trial, researchers investigated the ability of maqui berry extract to relieve dry eyes by supporting healthy tear production. The study enrolled 13 adults with moderate eye dryness, which was tested by Schirmer’s test to evaluate the amount of tear fluid produced by the tear glands.⁶

The 13 volunteers took either 30 mg or 60 mg of maqui berry extract daily for 60 days.

Both dosages led to about 50% improved tear production after 30 days. After 60 days, however, the lower-dose group lost half of their improvement, while the higher-dose group maintained nearly all their increased tear production.⁶

The participants were also evaluated to assess bothersome symptoms of dry eyes and their effect on daily life. This was done using a Dry-Eye Related Quality-of-Life Score test questionnaire. A higher score indicates greater impairment and worse quality of life.

The score for each group was about 40 at the start of the study. After taking daily maqui berry extract:⁶

• Scores for patients taking 30 mg of maqui berry extract improved to almost 22 after 30 days. But their scores stayed much the same by day 60.
• Scores for patients taking 60 mg improved to almost 27 after 30 days. But their scores continued to drop to a beneficial low 11 points by day 60.

This constitutes a 72% improvement in dry eye-related quality-of-life symptoms after just two months.⁶

Boost Natural Tears and Soothe Dry Eyes

• Dry eye syndrome is increasingly common, causing burning, redness, itching, eye fatigue, and reduced quality of life. When severe, prolonged, and untreated, it can also lead to permanent eye damage.
• Eye drops only have a temporary effect, and prescription medications can have side effects.
• Taken orally, an extract of the maqui berry has been clinically shown to boost high-quality tear production by 89%, improving dry eye symptoms, quality of life, and eye health.

Clinically Validated

Moving on to the gold standard of medical research, scientists conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

This study enrolled 74 healthy adults with moderate eye dryness and eye fatigue and more than four hours of exposure to computer, cell phone or other screen-based devices. Each day, half took a placebo, and half took 60 mg of maqui berry extract for four weeks.⁷

At the start, dryness levels were the same for each group. But after four weeks, the maqui extract group had:⁷

• Higher production of tear fluid in both eyes, with an average increase of 89%,
• Reduced eye dryness, and
• Less eye fatigue.

On a quality-of-life test, the maqui group had substantially improved total values for bothersome ocular symptoms (such as grittiness, dryness, or redness), compared to the placebo.

On another survey, the Visual Analog Scale, the maqui group reported significant improvements in eye fatigue.⁷

This clinical trial found that taking 60 mg of maqui berry extract daily for four weeks reduces eye dryness and fatigue, which may help protect eyes from permanent damage.

Summary

Dry eye syndrome causes discomfort and reduced quality of life and can lead to long-term damage to eye tissue.

An oral extract of the maqui berry helps the body produce more of its own high-quality tears.

It has been shown in clinical research to boost natural tear production by 89%, improving dry eye symptoms, protecting eye health, and boosting quality of life.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension  Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

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12. Basilious A, Xu CY, Malvankar-Mehta MS. Dry eye disease and psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2022 Jul;32(4):1872-89.
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14. Drugs.com. Restasis Side Effects. 2021.
15. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-dry-eye. Accessed August 14, 2024.
16. Nakamura S, Tanaka J, Imada T, et al. Delphinidin 3,5-O-diglucoside, a constituent of the maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) anthocyanin, restores tear secretion in a rat dry eye model. Journal of Functional Foods. 2014 9//;10:346-54.
17. Tanaka J, Kadekaru T, Ogawa K, et al. Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) and the constituent delphinidin glycoside inhibit photoreceptor cell death induced by visible light. Food Chem. 2013 Aug 15;139(1-4):129-37.