For the first time researchers show reversal of an aging marker in the human retina correlated with visual improvement using a nutraceutical matrix.
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There have been other studies in the medical literature noting rats that were fed a combination of alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L carnitine actually had regeneration of brain tissue along with more youthful behavior and activity. Alpha lipoic acid and acetyl-L carnitine have long been regarded as potential anti-aging nutrients. In addition vitamin B6. Researchers from Tufts University reviewed the data collected in a 2003-2004 Health and Nutrition Examination Survey known as NHANES. It was previously thought that B6 deficiency is rare in the United States. B6 has been linked to healthy heart function and immune function. It was found that in a group of over 7,800 men and women, nearly a quarter of them who did not take any supplementation had blood levels of B6 that were deemed to be deficient. In those individuals who took some supplementation, 11% were noted to have a deficiency of B6. Interestingly, in women who reported using oral contraceptives, they were much more likely to have extremely low levels of B6 in their blood stream.
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A group scientists are now looking into the possibility that one of the causes of Alzheimer’s disease may be the exposure to anesthetics commonly used in surgery. A report in the July edition of JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) reported the anesthetics under suspicion are isoflurane and halothane, both of which are inhaled. Patients given the chemicals commonly experience cognitive problems, but these were believed to be short-lived interruptions rather than permanent damage. When researchers tested the chemicals on animals, however, significant mental decline was noted. And it’s possible that other chemically related anesthetics, such as desflurane and sevoflurane, might also cause similar problems. The research is still underway, and hopefully will continue. Although the researcher who reported the possible problem said he found the early results “alarming,†he told doctors and patients there was no need for panic at this point.
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Studies have found that treating mice with a black raspberry gel following sun exposure reduced swelling, inflammation, and skin damage. It also greatly reduced the size and number of skin tumors that developed. The researchers from Ohio State University are now in the process of developing a black raspberry topical gel and are continuing their tests with humans. It appears it can be used much like a sunscreen or after sun exposure to reduce pre-cancerous lesions.
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Smoking quadruples risk of age-related macular degeneration. Of all the things to lose as we age, vision has to be one of the toughest. Reading, driving to visit friends and family, just watching the world go by so much depends on our sense of sight. Here are a few simple things you can do to preserve your vision and keep macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma at bay. Most people know that eating leafy greens protects your eyes. They are nature's best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids that filter and absorb damaging radiation as it enters the eye. Several studies have demonstrated that people who eat the most spinach, kale, and other carotenoidrich foods have a significantly reduced risk of both macular degeneration and cataracts.
More on Keep Smoking And Watch Your Vision Go – Up In The Smoke!!
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There are some nutrients that just keep surfacing in the medical literature with more and more good news. Those two nutrients are fish oil and vitamin D. There were two studies recently published in the Archives of Ophthalmology regarding poor visual health that can lead to blindness in the elderly. In the first, researchers evaluated over 4,500 people between ages 60 and 80 who participated in a study by the National Institute of Health's National Eye Institute. Individuals completed a food questionnaire measuring various nutrients. One in particular was DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, found in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. It was found that those who ate more than two servings a week of fish were least likely to develop poor visual health that can lead to blindness. Authors felt that the fatty acids might help promote cell health and survival as well as improve blood vessel function.
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Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in older people. Marked by deterioration of the macula, a small area in the center of the retina, it results in loss of central vision and inability to see fine details. Two of the most protective nutrients against macular degeneration are lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids concentrated in the macula. Studies have shown that people who eat a lot of lutein and zeaxanthin, rich leafy greens have a decreased risk of this disorder. Another good source of these carotenoids is egg yolks. To study the effects of eggs on the macula, researchers from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell divided female volunteers into three groups and gave them six eggs per week or placebo pills. After 12 weeks, they found that eating eggs increased density of the macular pigment and raised blood levels of zeaxanthin, but had no effect on cholesterol. The only change in the placebo group was an unexpected increase in cholesterol. The researchers commented that although eggs contain fewer protective carotenoids than spinach and other leafy greens, their bioavailability to the retina is high. To protect against macular degeneration, include one whole egg in your daily diet and don't worry about your cholesterol.
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Free radicals are a major factor that can damage proteins in such a way as to cause protein misfolding and health problems. These destructive entities are implicated, in fact, in countless human diseases and disorders. One of them is cataracts, an age-related disease that sends about 1.5 million Americans to the operating theater every year. Cataract surgery is the most common operation there is. The reason is that it's quick, easy, painless, and almost always successful. But, like most surgeries, it should always be the last resort. The first resort, of course, is prevention. More on Free Radicals The Underling Cause Of Cataracts
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Vitamin F and Vitamin E may offer protection against the vision loss associated with retinitis pigmentosa The antioxidants vitamin F and E help slow the loss of vision associated with this sight-robbing disease according to a recent study. The degenerative eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa involves a genetic mutation that affects the low light-sensing “rod†cells in the eye’s retina, leading to gradual loss of night and peripheral vision. Later, the surrounding “cone†cells of the retina, which detect bright light and color, may also die, which may result in complete blindness. Currently, there is no effective medical treatment for retinitis pigmentosa.
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In an interesting study regarding visual function with the use of ALC, omega-3 essential fatty acids and CoQ10. One hundred six patients with degeneration of the retina (which could lead to blindness) were randomized to receive these three nutrients or placebo. The trial went on for approximately 12 months. It was found that those individuals supplemented with the nutrients showed significant improvement in four parameters of visual function by the end of the study. Only 2% of the treated group noted a worsening in vision versus 17% in the placebo group. Authors indicated that the findings strongly suggest that an appropriate combination of nutrients, which affect mitochondrial lipid metabolism, may improve and subsequently stabilize visual function. As a side note, many of you are probably aware thatCombining these 3 is Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) has a patented product called OcuPower® which also showed evidence of not only stabilization but improvement in vision with people (with an average age of mid-70s) suffering from poor vision.
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