Diet and Gut Health May Influence Dry Eye Disease

This review looks at how nutrition and the body’s microbial communities relate to dry eye disease and overall eye surface health. The authors describe how omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, known for supporting a balanced inflammatory response, along with antioxidant-rich eating patterns like the Mediterranean diet, appear to support tear film stability and help manage oxidative stress on the eye’s surface.

The paper also explores the ‘gut-eye axis,’ explaining how an imbalanced gut microbiome may contribute to systemic inflammation, altered immune function, and lower levels of beneficial compounds called short-chain fatty acids. A distinct microbial community living on the eye’s surface itself was also discussed as playing a role in maintaining balance and defending against outside pathogens.

Diet, aging, and antibiotic use were noted as factors that can reduce microbial diversity both in the gut and on the ocular surface. The authors mention probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation as emerging areas of interest, but stress that research on these approaches is still early-stage and needs more controlled clinical studies before firm conclusions can be drawn.