What vitamin deficiency causes dry eye disease?
Nov 19, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Wang Lei
Introduction
In general, the occurrence of dry eye disease is closely related to deficiencies in multiple vitamins. Commonly deficient vitamins include vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. In daily diet, vitamin A can be supplemented by consuming animal liver and egg yolk; B-complex vitamins can be obtained from lean meat and legumes; and fresh vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C.
Under normal circumstances, the occurrence of dry eye disease is closely related to deficiencies in multiple vitamins. Commonly deficient vitamins include vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. The specific analysis is as follows:
1. Vitamin A: Vitamin A is a key nutrient for maintaining ocular surface health. It participates in the synthesis of mucin in tears and enhances the stability of ocular surface epithelial cells. Deficiency can lead to drying and shedding of the ocular mucosa, resulting in uneven tear distribution, causing symptoms such as dryness and foreign body sensation. Severe deficiency may lead to corneal softening, worsening dry eye symptoms.
2. B-complex Vitamins: B-complex vitamins are involved in nerve metabolism and mucosal repair, helping maintain normal tear gland secretion function. Deficiency reduces tear production and impairs tear quality. It may also cause abnormal periocular nerve sensations, making symptoms like eye dryness and soreness more pronounced.
3. Vitamin C: Vitamin C has strong antioxidant properties, protecting ocular surface tissues from free radical damage. It also promotes collagen synthesis, helping maintain tear film stability. Deficiency reduces antioxidant capacity on the ocular surface, leading to rapid tear film breakup, exacerbating symptoms such as dryness and photophobia, and increasing the risk of ocular surface inflammation.
4. Vitamin D: Vitamin D not only regulates calcium metabolism but also plays a role in immune regulation. Dry eye disease is often associated with chronic ocular surface inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency can disrupt ocular immune balance, intensify inflammatory responses, impair tear secretion and tear film function, thereby triggering or worsening dry eye disease.
5. Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that protects the integrity of ocular surface cell membranes and prevents oxidation of lipid components in tears, thus maintaining the tear film's ability to retain moisture. Deficiency damages the lipid layer of the tear film, accelerates tear evaporation, and leads to rapid onset of dry eye symptoms such as dryness and stinging.
In daily diet, vitamin A can be supplemented through foods like animal liver and egg yolks; B-complex vitamins can be obtained from lean meats and legumes; fresh fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C; and adequate intake of nuts and deep-sea fish can help supplement both vitamin E and vitamin D.
