I bet your mother probably told you: “Eat your carrots – they’re good for your eyes.” Once again, mom was right.
Now doctors have been telling you to load up on vitamin A and beta-carotene for good eye health. But by focusing on these nutrients alone, you’ll miss out on the natural protectors your eyes really need.
In today’s Health Alert, you’ll read about other nutrients that are more effective at keeping your vision sharp. With some help from these exceptional yet little-known nutrients, you can protect yourself from the leading cause of blindness.
The Rising Rate of Vision Loss in America
Over 25% of Americans over 65 have macular degeneration. Age Related Macular Degeneration, (AMD) affects more Americans than glaucoma and cataracts combined. As you grow older, your risk increases dramatically.
AMD is a deterioration of a portion of the retina. The retina is the backside of the eye. It records images and sends them to the brain. The central portion of the retina is the macula.
The macula plays major roles in these features of vision:
• Focusing vision
• Recognizing colors
• Recognizing faces
• Reading
• Driving a car
• Seeing fine details
In AMD, this critical structure of vision is gradually destroyed. There are two types of macular degeneration: “wet” and “dry.” “Dry” macular degeneration makes up about 90% of all cases. A yellow substance called drusen collects under the macula. The drusen thins and dries the macula, causing deterioration.
“Wet” macular degeneration affects only a minority of people suffering from AMD. In this case, blood vessels grow abnormally under the macula. These blood vessels eventually leak. The macula bulges, causing vision loss.
Vision loss from AMD dramatically increases with age. It may start as mildly blurred vision. From there, the disease escalates. Straight lines or sentences appear wavy. It becomes difficult to see objects from far away. Fine detail is lost. The ability to distinguish color is gone. Eventually, whole areas of vision disappear.
The Eyes Have It
Modern nutritional habits sometimes cheat us of the very nutrients we need to stay healthy. A mixture of the right natural nutrients can help to prevent AMD far more effectively than isolated beta-carotene.
Multivitamins often include only vitamin A and beta-carotene. Some manufacturers don’t realize the importance of mixed carotenoids. Others don’t include them to keep costs down. Make sure to look at the label of your multivitamin. It should say, “mixed carotenoids” or list carotenoids separately.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin: These carotenoids go hand in hand to prevent and treat AMD. They are the most potent combination of carotenoids we know of. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are naturally present in the retina, and highly concentrated in the macula.
People with higher concentrations of these two carotenoids in the retina tend not to develop AMD. They increase the density of macular pigment. The higher the density, the more protection your eyes have.
The Journal of Nutrition published a study that compared levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye and the macular pigment density. A lutein/zeaxanthin supplement successfully increased macular pigment density. Take 20mg of lutein and 10mg of zeaxanthin daily to increase pigment density.
Tocopherols: Here is another mixture of potent eye protectors. Tocopherols (types of vitamin E) are powerful free radical destroyers. JAMA published a study which proved that increased intake of these nutrients lowered the risk of AMD.
The best way to get tocopherols is as a mix. There are four types of tocopherols. Look for supplements that say, “mixed tocopherols.” I recommend 400 IU of mixed tocopherols a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD