Saving Your Sight
Was Your Mother Right About Carrots?
It’s the same story we’ve all heard before. Eat well, exercise, don’t smoke, and take your vitamins. More than half of all Americans do take a nutritional supplement daily. But do they improve general health and could they help preserve our precious gift of sight? Which ones are the most effective?
More and more evidence from recent scientific studies lend support to the role of herbal and natural nutritional supplements and other ways to protect your vision for a lifetime.
According to a study by the National Eye Institute, Americans fear blindness more than any other disability (including cancer and heart disease). More than 3.5 million Americans over the age of 40 suffer from some degree of vision loss and the chances of developing eye problems increase dramatically with age. So what can people do to protect reduce their risk of vision loss?
Starting in middle age and becoming increasingly more common over time, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) are the top two causes of vision loss. Nearly 20 million Americans over 40 have some cataract and 2 million Americans have lost vision to macular degeneration.
Cataracts
Cloudy vision from cataractsNormal vision
(Courtesy of National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health)
When the natural human lens inside the eye develops cloudiness that affects vision, this is called a cataract. With time, the color of the natural human lens in the eye becomes yellowish or brown causing vision to gradually worsen. Symptoms may include blurriness, lack of contrast or sharpness, and night glare. Color vision may change, making it more difficult to identify purple or blue colors.
Diet and Cataracts
There doesn’t appear to be a good way to stop getting older but there are things you can do that may reduce your risk of developing cataracts. Research suggests that lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet along with other antioxidants may reduce the risk of developing cataract. Lutein, an anti-oxidant that may reduce age-related damage, is from the Latin meaning “yellow” and is found in green leafy vegetable such as spinach and kale. Eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing carbohydrates may help along with daily vitamin C.
Smoking cigarettes, excessive UV exposure from the sun along with diet, and other environmental issues can have a role in the development of cataracts.
Foods rich in antioxidants and vitamin C
Find out the 
latest in advanced cataract treatments
Reference links
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – Carbohydrate Nutrition
Vitamin supplements reduce cataract incidence by 60%
Associations between nuclear cataract and lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet
The Melbourne Visual Impairment Project
Macular Degeneration (AMD)
This (age-related macular degeneration) is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people aged 60 and older in the United States.
Central vision loss from macular degeneration Normal Vision
(Courtesy of National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health)
What are the risks factors for AMD?
- Age – 60 and over.
- Family history of macular degeneration. Genetic screening tests may soon help evaluate your risk.
- Race: Macular degeneration is more common in whites than in other groups especially after age 75.
- Sex: Women are more likely than men to develop macular degeneration.
- Cigarette smoking doubles your risk of macular degeneration.
- Obesity
- Light colored eyes
- Exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet rays
- Lack of nutrients such as zinc, antioxidants (vitamins A, C, & E and lutein nutrients)
- High blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and heart disease
Reducing your Risk of Macular Degeneration
- Get an eye examination to assess your risk and see if early intervention is needed.
- A low fat diet with five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily may help reduce your risk.
- Eat plenty of leafy greens, other vegetables, and fruits containing antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin found in spinach, corn, and egg yokes
- The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) showed that a daily supplement of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 International Units of vitamin E, 15 mg of β-carotene (vitaminA up to 25,000 International Units), 80 mg zinc, and 2 mg of copper reduced the risk ofprogressing to moderate or severe vision loss by up to 25%.
- Eat more fish. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can reduce your risk of macular degeneration according to a study published in July 2006. Vitamin D may also play a role.
- Stop smoking.
- Wear sunglasses with UV filters that cover the sides of your eyes as well.
- Reduce your blood pressure if it’s abnormal.
If you have been diagnosed with macular degeneration, use an Amsler grid daily to test your own vision at home.
Call your doctor if you notice any changes. You can download an Amsler grid by clicking here or stopping by our office in suite 950, or visiting Washington Eye’s EyeBar in the lobby of our office building.
References links:
Macular degeneration – Mayoclinic.com
Associations between levels of vitamin D in serum and prevalent AMD
- Antioxidants may prevent cataracts and macular degeneration
- Vitamin C may prevent cataracts
- Vitamin E may prevent macular degeneration
- Zinc may prevent and treat macular degeneration
- Vitamin D may help prevent AMD
