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Vitamins are vital substances. The human body is capable of producing only a fraction of them. A small amount of some vitamins are produced by intestinal bacteria and are used by the body, but for most of the vitamins the human body depends on food supply. Vitamins are organic substances, often components of the enzymes, biocatalysts, the body. Until today have identified 13 vitamins.

Today we know that vitamins are not a homogeneous group of substances, but have enough differences in their chemical composition. They play a lot of different functions involved, among others, in blood clotting, nerve functions, growth, reproduction, defense against infections, digestion and eye function.

Deficiency symptoms can occur in case of an incomplete diet, for example, and when an increase in demand. The need for vitamins increased in case of physical and psychic teen growth phase and pregnant and lactating women and in the elderly.

The retina of the eye is a light container photosensitive structure, characterized by high metabolic activity. Under these conditions (light, high metabolic activity) are created free radicals.

Free radicals are intermediate products which have a harmful effect very violent and destructive. Apart from the pollutants that occur inside the body naturally, there are also environmental substances, like smoke from snuff, the sun (UV light) or other types of radiation, which can form free radicals. These compounds lack an electron in its molecular structure, which gives them great destructive power of oxidation.

There is a theory that free radicals are involved in the genesis of certain ocular pathologies. For this reason, many ophthalmologists are increasingly advocated, particularly the elderly, administration of food supplements containing vitamins, carotenoids and selected minerals (especially zinc) to protect their eye function.

Protection against oxidative stress: Vitamins (Antioxidants)

The sensors radicals (antioxidants) are harmless to the radicals. The body itself also has a natural healing substances (repair enzymes) that trap free radicals. Vitamins A, C, E and beta carotene has an antioxidant effect. Thus, for example, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has two free electrons that can be captured by the radicals. While vitamin C is effective in aqueous environments, eg in the aqueous humor of the eye, vitamin E displays his power especially in fatty tissues such as nerve cells and tissues. The number and effectiveness of repair enzymes decrease but throughout life. Without this protective function the cell is damaged.

Recently, increasing evidence pointing to the fact that antioxidants play an important role in the formation of cataracts (clouding of the lens) and macular diseases (degenerative changes in the central area of the retina) and the onset of dry eye problems .