Your vision is precious, yet all too often, we somehow forget to take care of it. Squinting into the sun, spending long hours in front of the computer and sitting in the dark, peering into the harsh blue light of mobile phones, teenagers’ eyesight is perhaps more at risk than most.

Regular check-ups with an optometrist are vital for good eye care. But in between visits, you can help your teen look after their vision for years to come, with Holland and Barrett Eye Care Teen Gummies, a one-a-day chewable supplement containing zinc, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin.

Eye health for teenagers

With so much else on their minds, there probably are not many teens out there who give a lot of thought to their vision now for the future. However, it is important to start thinking about eye care from as early an age as possible, putting healthy habits in place.

Eating a diet rich in nutrients is always a good place to start, with fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds especially valuable for those vitamins and minerals that protect your eyes. Improving circulation through exercise and getting a good night’s sleep are also vital for peepers that work at their best for years to come.

Teens and adults alike are also advised to wash their hands well before touching their delicate eye area, to use gentle cosmetics and to follow strict rules when it comes to screens – breaks every 20 minutes, minimising glare by turning screens away from nearby light sources and keeping those screens 50cm to 60cm away from eyes.

Zinc maintains normal vision

A part of many essential enzymes, zinc is found in abundance in our eyes, leading scientists to conclude that this essential mineral is vital for good eye health. It is also known to be involved in the making of visual pigments in human retinas. Because of this, it is thought that a zinc deficiency can be a contributory cause of night blindness.

Zinc is also important for children’s growth and development and helps contribute to a healthy immune system.

Your eyes, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin

Also present in your daily Holland & Barrett chewable Eye Care Teen Gummy is a substance called zeaxanthin, along with its partner meso-zeaxanthin. One of only two dietary carotenoids that accumulate in the retina, zeaxanthin finds its own way directly to the macula, lens and fovea (that is the very centre of the retina, where meso-zeaxanthin is most commonly found) on consumption.

These two carotenoids have been extensively studied in relation to their effects on eye health later on in life.