A superior natural Ayurvedic adaptogen for stress response and macular health

Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice for a reason. Each flower produces only 3 delicate stigmas of saffron, and blooms for only two to three weeks every year. The harvesting process is very delicate and must be done entirely by hand in the brief mid-morning window, making it extremely labour intensive.   

Saffron has been used for hundreds of years in Ayurvedic and Persian remedies for its traditional effects on stress response, memory and sleep. It is now increasingly recognised for its eye health benefits, including on visual performance, contrast sensitivity and eye pressure regulation, among others.

Saffron contains the carotenoid crocin and crocetin, as well as a complex of other bioactive antioxidants, collectively known as lepticrosalides. Unlike other carotenoids such as lycopene and astaxanthin, crocin and crocetin are not available in other food sources and can only be found in saffron. 

At Nutravision, we have chosen affron®, the most awarded and peer-reviewed saffron extract, that costs over 250 times more than most standard saffron extracts. affron® is cultivated from the exceptional Spanish Castilla-la-Mancha region and processed via a patented zero-chemical extraction and standardisation technique to ensure its superior quality and proven bioavailability. It is so rapidly absorbed that clinical effects are evident within one hour after consumption.

(affron® is a registered trademark of Pharmactive Biotech Products, S.L)

How saffron benefits your vision:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Assist glucose metabolism and support healthy blood sugar
• Support cognitive function and brain health
• Support heathy eye function, including eye pressure regulation
• Support healthy stress response
• Support healthy vision, including visual acuity and contrast sensitivity

Superior, bioavailable form of folate critical for optic nerve and central nervous system function

Folate is a form of vitamin B9, and is critical for cellular health, homocysteine metabolism, red blood cell production, and central nervous system function. 

Deficiency in folate increases with age due to a reduced ability to absorb folate and folic acid from diet, leading to adverse effects on optic nerve, nervous system, cognitive, and brain health.

We use Quatrefolic®, the most advanced and bioactive form of folate currently available. It delivers 'finished' folate (L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate), that the body can immediately absorb and use without any kind of metabolisation. It is therefore ideal for those with MTHFR gene mutations who cannot metabolise folate from food into the active form.

As a patented fourth generation folate supplement, Quatrefolic® stands above other folate preparations due to its superior bioavailability and water solubility, long-lasting stability, and well-established safety profile.​

(Quatrefolic® is a trademark owned by Gnosis by Lesaffre)

How L-methylfolate benefits your vision:

• Assist healthy red blood cell production
• Assist protein and DNA synthesis
• Decrease homocysteine levels
• Support healthy blood circulation, including reducing retinal venous pressure
• Support cognitive function and brain health
• Support nervous system function

A powerful oriental nootropic herb of longevity and cognition

Native to China, Japan and Korea, Ginkgo Biloba is a notable ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. The gingko tree can live for over a thousand years and is able to withstand adverse conditions including pollution and fire. Equally as impressive, the gingko leaf contains over 60 bioactive compounds.Our gingko leaf extract is the product of a complex extraction and standardisation process, ensuring a high concentration of flavonoids and terpenoids. As a nootropic, ginkgo leaf extract has been traditionally used in Oriental medicine to enhance brain function, cognition and memory.

Due to its mitochondrial antioxidant properties and ability to enhance ocular blood circulation, it has generated significant research interest for neuroprotection as well as macular health.

Finally, there is a concern about the possible increased risk of bleeding with ginkgo biloba based on the publication of several isolated case reports. Although the results from major clinical trials and systematic meta-analyses have not shown any significantly increased risk of bleeding with ginkgo biloba, this issue is worth exploring with your health professional first prior to taking any supplement containing ginkgo biloba.

How gingko biloba benefits your vision:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Support healthy blood circulation, including to the optic nerve
• Support healthy stress response
• Support healthy vision, including peripheral vision

A rich source of the natural antioxidant, anthocyanins

The bilberry is a small berry that grows wild in hillsides across northern Europe and northern Asia. It is difficult to grow and cultivate, and can only be harvested when ripe from wild plants between July to September. It is prized as one of the richest natural sources of potent antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Bilberries have significantly higher amounts of anthocyanins compared to other berries.

Anthocyanins contribute to regeneration of rhodopsin, which is essential for the function of rod photoreceptors in the retina to detect motion, adapt to dim light, and see peripherally.​

The legend goes that during World War II, British Royal Air Force pilots ate bilberry jam with their English tea to enhance their night vision and bombing accuracy before their night time sorties.

While the specific clinical evidence for night vision improvement is inconclusive, the beneficial effects of bilberry on eye and vascular health have been evaluated in many other clinical studies, including on eye pressure regulation, ocular blood flow, visual fatigue, eye strain, dry eye symptoms, and contrast sensitivity.

Research is ongoing on the broad benefits of anthocyanins on cognitive health, metabolic health, and cardiovascular health.

At Nutravision, we use practitioner grade bilberry fruit extract standardised to 36% anthocyanins, which is the highest gold standard concentration.

How bilberry benefits your vision:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Assist eye adaptation to variations in light intensity
• Assist glucose metabolism and support healthy blood sugar
• Support healthy blood circulation, including to the retina and optic nerve
• Relieve visual fatigue, eye strain and dry eye symptoms
• Support blood capillary and blood-retina barrier health
• Helps maintain eye retina health
• Support healthy eye function, including eye pressure regulation and rhodopsin regeneration

Essential carotenoids for macular function, vision performance and blue light protection

Lutein and zeaxanthin are both essential carotenoids that are highly concentrated in the eye, brain, and skin. They improve the quality of vision and visual performance, as well as protect against oxidative damage and blue light exposure from digital screens and sunlight.

Although the vast majority of the scientific research on lutein and zeaxanthin has been focused on macular health, lutein and zeaxanthin are much more than just vision vitamins; they also contribute to brain health through visual reaction time and cognitive flexibility, as well as to skin health. With lutein and zeaxanthin, you may never see skin wrinkles the same again!

For Nutravision, we have selected Lutemax 2020, a patented macular carotenoid formulation that is naturally derived from premium, non-GMO marigold flowers. It is an award-winning and clinically-backed extract that contains optimal amounts of premium lutein with enhanced levels of zeaxanthin isomers in the same 5:1 ratio found naturally in our diet.Lutemax 2020 has garnered significant attention due to its impressive array of vision and cognitive performance benefits, ranging from vision processing, glare recovery and contrast sensitivity to mental focus, stress response and sleep quality. 

(Lutemax 2020 is a registered trademark of OmniActive Health Technologies Ltd)

How Lutein and Zeaxanthin benefits your vision:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Relieve visual fatigue and eye strain
• Support blood capillary and blood-retina barrier health
• Support healthy stress response
• Support cognitive function and brain health
• Support healthy vision, including visual acuity and contrast sensitivity
• Support macular health, including as filter against blue light from digital screens

Highly bioavailable, activated form of vitamin B12 for optic nerve, nervous system and brain health

Methylcobalamin is a form of vitamin B12, which is essential for DNA synthesis, homocysteine metabolism, and healthy nerve and brain function. It is the only form of Vitamin B12 present in the central nervous system and brain.

Vitamin B12 deficiency increases with age due to reduced ability to absorb B12 from food, leading to adverse effects on optic nerve, nervous system, cognitive, and brain health.

Of all the forms of vitamin B12, methylcobalamin is widely recognised as the best because it is naturally active and has superior bioavailability. It is vital for methylation reactions, which are critical for the health of the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects your nerve fibres.

Because of its importance in nervous system health, methylcobalamin is a key nutrient for vision. Research has shown that methylcobalamin can relieve dry eye symptoms, improve visual accommodation following prolonged visual work on screens, and reduce visual field loss in glaucoma.

Vitamin B12 can only be synthesised by certain bacteria, such as Propionibacterium shermanii and Pseudomonas denitrificans, under specific culture conditions.

How methylcobalamin benefits your vision:

• Assist healthy red blood cell production
• Assist protein and DNA synthesis
• Decrease homocysteine levels
• Support healthy blood circulation, including reducing retinal venous pressure
• Support cognitive function and brain health
• Support nervous system and optic nerve function
• Support healthy vision, including peripheral vision

Active form of vitamin B3, the natural precursor to replenish the important cellular coenzyme NAD+

Nicotinamide is a form of vitamin B3, and a natural precursor for the coenzyme NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ is vital for cellular metabolism due to its role in mitochondrial energy production and DNA repair for cells throughout the body.

With ageing, there is decline of NAD+ supply leading to metabolic decline of cells in the body. Nicotinamide increases NAD+ levels, thereby supporting regular cellular metabolism and promoting mitochondrial vitality.

Nicotinamide is considered the best form of vitamin B3 for optic nerve health, hence the significant research interest in neuroprotection. This is due to its overall safety profile and ability to rapidly increase NAD+ levels in the retinal ganglion cells, unlike the other NAD+ precursors such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).​

How nicotinamide benefits your vision:

• Assist protein and DNA synthesis
• Support energy production and mitochondrial function

The best source of the natural antioxidant, proanthocyanidins

Grape seed is the best natural source of proanthocyanidins, a broad spectrum antioxidant with outstanding health benefits for the eye and cardiovascular health.

Proanthocyanidins are highly bioavailable and provide significantly greater antioxidant activity against free radicals, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage compared to general antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

A key benefit of proanthocyanidins is maintaining normal nitric oxide levels to effectively support blood vessel endothelial function and healthy blood pressure, particularly for those those with diabetes. Additionally, the combination of proanthocyanidins and bilberry anthocyanins has also been shown to be beneficial for eye pressure control.

Our grape seed extract is practitioner grade, made exclusively with seeds from premium wine grapes, and standardised to contain at least 95% proanthocyanidins. The science behind the benefits of proanthocyanidins on ocular and cardiovascular health has been widely studied and continues to generate significant research interest.

How grape seed benefits your vision:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Support healthy blood circulation, including to the retina and optic nerve
• Support healthy eye function

Highly bioavailable, plant-based Vitamin D3 for immune health and eye support

Vitamin D3 plays a vital role in supporting immune health, calcium absorption, glucose metabolism, and overall cellular function. 

Vitamin D3 is essential for eye health due to its ability to modulate immune responses and reduce inflammation in the ocular tissues. Deficiency in vitamin D3 has been linked to many eye conditions including glaucoma, macular degeneration, and dry eyes. Additionally, vitamin D3 also plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism, influencing insulin sensitivity and secretion.

For Nutravision, we have selected Vitashine®, a groundbreaking plant-based, vegan form of vitamin D3, that is highly bioavailable and costs 3,000 times more than standard vitamin D3 sourced from lanolin from sheep’s wool.

How Vitamin D3 benefits your vision:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Supports immune function
• Promotes healthy calcium metabolism and glucose regulation
• Antioxidant

Highly absorbable form of magnesium for nerve health, blood flow and glucose metabolism.

Magnesium is a critical mineral for over 300 enzymatic processes, including those involved in nerve function, glucose metabolism, muscle relaxation, and blood flow regulation. Magnesium citrate is a highly absorbable form that efficiently supports cardiovascular, metabolic, and nervous system health. It is also considered a natural calcium channel blocker, which helps regulate calcium levels and reduce muscle tension.

Magnesium is essential for glucose metabolism and insulin function, helping the body maintain normal blood glucose levels. In eye health, magnesium citrate has been shown to improve blood flow to the optic nerve and retina, which can help reduce the risk of visual field loss in conditions like glaucoma. 

Clinical studies suggest that magnesium supplementation can contribute to the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation in the eye, supporting long-term eye health.

How magnesium citrate benefits your vision:

• Supports glucose metabolism and insulin function
• Promotes blood circulation to the optic nerve and retina
• Supports healthy nerve function
• Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation