Episode 11: Dry Eye Through a Nutritional Lens with Dr. Rudrani Banik

Send us Fan MailIn today’s episode of the Dry Eye Girlfriend podcast, host Angela Jenkins sits down with neuro-ophthalmologist, Dr. Rudrani Banik, to discuss her journey from traditional ophthalmology to integrative medicine, as well as the intricate relationship between eye health, brain function, and overall well-being, particularly for women in midlife. She highlights the role of meibomian gland dysfunction in dry eye and discusses various lifestyle and dietary changes that can help alleviate these issues.  🎧If you are ready for answers – and remedies – when it comes to your dry eye, look no further!   Dr. Rudrani (Rani) Banik is a board-certified neuro-ophthalmologist. Dr. Banik is certified in Integrative and Functional Medicine, and runs a private practice based in NYC and is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai. She focuses on the root cause of eye diseases and uses strategies based on nutrition, botanicals, lifestyle modification, and supplements. Dr. Banik is often featured as an expert in her field, having appeared on Good Morning America, The New York Times, TODAY Online, and many more media outlets. She has been voted Castle Connolly Top Doctor and NY Magazine's Best Doctor in Ophthalmology annually since 2017. Dr. Banik is the author of two best-selling books, Beyond Carrots - Best Foods For Eye Health A to Z and Dr. Rani’s Plant-Based Visionary Kitchen. She founded The Eye SummitTM, the first online FREE educational event focused entirely on integrative strategies to protect and preserve vision, and shares valuable insights on eye health and migraine on her podcast, The Eye-Q Podcast.  Welcome to Dry Eye Girlfriend.  - - - - - - - - -  If you liked this episode of the Dry Eye Girlfriend podcast, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes,Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts to rate/review/subscribe to the show. Want more? Visit our website dryeyegirlfriend.com, and connect with Angela on Instagram (@dryeyegirlfriend) and TikTok (@dryeyegirlfriend). Thanks for listening and joining the conversation!  Resources and References  https://www.drranibanik.com www.instagram.com/dr.ranibanik The Eye Q Podcast Bruder brand eye care products - https://bruder.com/   Show Notes   0:52 - Angela introduces today’s special guest, and different things we are looking forward to talking about today! 4:00 – Dr. Banik recounts her journey to neuro-ophthalmology and her niches within it 9:00 – Dr. Banik describes the root cause of dry eye in 85% of cases12:55 – Dr. Banik shares a regimen she recommends to her patients to keep meibomian glands healthy and control mite overgrowth 19:52 – Dr. Banik discusses inflammation of the eyelid and ways to remedy that, speaking extensively on omegas (and not just omega 3 supplements) 32:19 – Dr. Banik addresses what she calls the “elephant in the room” and why she thinks eye health has more to do with testosterone than we think 39:06 – Dr. Banik shares her final message to listeners, and Angela wraps up the episode