Watch The Eyes And Keep The Vision

By the age of 65, a shocking 30% of Americans suffer from drastic vision problems that are not correctable with glasses or contact lenses. The two most common causes of vision loss in older adults are cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. While millions of doctors and their patients view these insidious conditions as inevitable consequences of the aging process, alternative medicine has long known that potent antioxidants can play a critical role in supporting healthy vision with aging. Well finally, mainstream medicine has acknowledged the link between eye health and nutrition.

Age related macula degeneration (AMD) is the condition of the macula, the area of the retina responsible for central vision failing. In some people, about 10 percent of the total, it is caused by excessive blood vessel growth and fluid leakage in the retina. This is the 'wet AMD' in which treatment with lasers or drugs to retard the growth of the abnormal vessels, is responsible for most of the AMD-related blindness.

This debilitating eye condition that affects at least 10 million men and women in the US, is the leading cause of legal blindness in people 55 and older. AMD does not adversely affect the eye lens but it causes a devastating deterioration of the macula. This is the specialized area of the eye’s retina that helps maintain the sharp, detailed vision required for tasks such as reading and driving. When the macula deteriorates the victim experience a world of fuzzy, indistinct shapes and faded colors.

Wet macula degeneration can occur very rapidly over two or three years, and accounts for most of the major vision loss attributed to macular degeneration. This devastating condition is caused by abnormal blood vessels that grow across and under the macula and lead to scar tissue formation, which eventually damages and destroys the macula.

On the other side is 'dry' [TAG-TEC]Age related macula degeneration [/TAG-TEC]which is marked by buildup of metabolic waste products in the macula called drusen. These lesions interfere with blood flow to the macula and impair function of light-sensitive cells. In the dry form, yellow deposits called drusen accumulate underneath the retina over a period of years, which causes the macula to become thinner and lose its function. This type progresses more slowly and results in less severe vision loss, although over time it too can cause significant impairment. Conventional medicine considers dry AMD to be untreatable, but this IS NOT true since we know that supplements slow this type of AMD.

Scientists are still investigating why [TAG-TEC]macula degeneration [/TAG-TEC] affects some aging adults but not others, new research points to inflammation's role in this devastating disease. Chronic inflammation may contribute to various age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease. Recent articles in prestigious scientific publications such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and Ophthalmology verify the importance of antioxidant nutrients in preserving vision. New studies indicate that suppressing levels of potentially dangerous C-reactive protein and homocysteine is likewise essential to maintaining eye health with aging. Nutrition aware adults can preserve their vision by using targeted nutritional remedies and managing the risk factors that directly threaten eye health. A good nutritional supplement program can help ensure healthy vision as they age.

Taking supplements containing 500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 25,000 IU beta carotene, 80 mg zinc, and 2 mg copper retarded AMD progression. Individuals on this balance of supplements with intermediate AMD had a 25 percent reduced risk of vision loss and those with advanced disease had a 19 percent reduction. Another supplement that shows great promise in winning the battle with AMD is melatonin. This a natural hormone produced in the pineal gland which aids in sleep. Melatonin is also a very powerful antioxidant that protects retinal cells against free radical damage. In a 2005 study, researchers gave 100 patients with AMD 3 mg of melatonin at bedtime for three to six months. They found that the visual acuity in most of these patients remained stable, and there was far less retinal deterioration than expected.

Diet research clearly shows that your diet plays a very significant role in AMD from beginning to end. Studies have reveal that people who eat an abundance of leafy greens have a reduced risk of AMD. That's because these vegetables are excellent sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids concentrated in the macula that filter out harmful wavelengths of light. In studies individuals who ate the most kale, spinach, collards, and other leafy greens had a 43 percent lower risk of developing AMD compared to those who ate the least. Omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are also now also known to protect the retina. Australian researchers studied a large group of almost 3,000 people who were 49 or older for five years and found that eating fish once a week lowered risk of early AMD by 40 percent. And three weekly servings lowered risk of advanced AMD by 75 percent.

Another dietary consideration is the type of carbohydrates you eat. It is most important to eat low-glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates such as vegetables and beans and avoiding high-GI sugars and starches to improve blood sugar control and promote weight loss. A low-GI diet also protects against AMD. Researchers have found that women who ate a high-GI diet were more likely to develop early AMD than those who ate more low-GI foods.

If you've already experienced some vision loss due to AMD or any other degenerative eye disease you need to include leafy greens and fish in your diet several times a week. You should also void starches, sugars, and other high-glycemic index carbohydrates. Again we stress that you need to add nutritional supplements with vitamin C (at the very 500 to 1,000 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, beta carotene 25,000 IU, zinc 80 mg, copper 4-6 mg, lutein 15 mg, and zeaxanthin 600 mcg. Other nutrients that bolster eye health include bilberry, N-acetyl-cysteine, and Ginkgo Biloba. Look for combination products targeting vision health in your health food store or online. If you don't get enough fish in your diet, supplement with two to six fish oil capsules daily. And for both your vision and good sleep take a dose of melatonin 3 mg. 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.