Can you eyes tell you about blood sugar levels?

7 things your eyes reveal about your blood sugar levels. They are:

1. Puffy eyelids; edema around your eyelids means too much sugar. Fluid follows sugar. Too much and your tissues will retain fluid: in your eyes, or your ankles.

2. Glaucoma, a problem of too much pressure in your eyes, is called increased intraocular pressure. High sugars cause glycation or the formation of sticky proteins. They plug up the mesh membrane at the back of your eye, allowing pressure to build. Your body senses the low oxygen (hypoxia), triggering a certain protein that makes abnormal blood vessels.

3. Cataracts, which happen with the normally transparent lens in your eyes turn opaque. High sugar levels cause the proteins in the lens to get misfolded. It depletes vitamin B1. Take B1 and carnosine to help reverse or even prevent damage.

4. Retinopathy; your retina is an extension of your brain. High blood sugar damages the retina and its nerves. Retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in diabetics. I recommend taking benfotiamine, a fat-soluble B1 that can act as an oxidant and repair nerve damage. But of course, you need to fix your diet first. Take 4 benfotiamine supplements during the day. It’s also good for peripheral neuropathy. 5

5. Macular degeneration. The macula is the part of your eye involved with focus. It surrounds the retina. You may have heard that lutein, a carotenoid that comes from vegetables, helps prevent macular degeneration. It can, but not unless you fix your diet.

6. Red irritated eyes, which occurs because of inflammation from high sugar as well as damage to your eyes’ blood vessels. You can see this in prediabetics, diabetics, and people with insulin resistance. You’ve got to normalize your blood sugars.

7. Dry eyes, which is usually a vitamin A deficiency coupled with insufficient zinc. High levels of sugar in your diet deplete your zinc reserves.