Eye protective foods & supplements….

Today's Post: Tuesday, 8-11-2009

Last month we did this post: Prevent cataracts, slow aging & more....Thursday, 7-23-2009. In it, we recommended several supplements and foods that either slow aging or protect your eyes or both. And we noted that the supplement carnosine tended to directly prevent cataracts. Since then I’ve discovered that carnosine is a more expensive supplement than many.

Then last Friday, 8-7, Total Health Breakthroughs had a very similar article. Since it had more information than I posted about on 7-23 on how many of these supplements directly help prevent cataracts besides the carnosine that I posted about on 7-23 -- but which cost less, I thought it well worthwhile to post that article today.

Here it is.:

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com ."

"The Nutrients that Best Protect Your Vision

by Victor Marchione, MD 08/07/2009

Protecting and preserving your vision as you grow older requires a bounty of nutrients that do it for you naturally. In the grocery store, head for the produce aisles. Keeping your diet full of colorful fruits and vegetables could help keep the eyes strong. Greens, oranges, reds, yellows the more colorful the produce is, the better it is for your eyesight.

For example, two carotenoid nutrients are at the top of any list for eyesight. They are lutein and zeaxanthin, found in a variety of vegetables, including dark green salad greens. Heard of carrots being good for eyesight? It’s because they are brimming with beta-carotene (providing the orange color). What does the body turn beta-carotene into? Vitamin A, which is needed by your eyes for healthy functioning. These are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the incredible antioxidant nutrients found naturally in fruits and vegetables.

That said, supplements are also a good idea for those who wish to ramp up their vision protection or for anyone who may be at greater risk for conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration (or who perhaps are already forming one of these conditions).

Here are some additional vision-aiding supplements that also work great. Topping the list are lutein and zeaxanthin, found in any health store. People who have high levels of these nutrients in their bodies have been found to have a much lower risk of cataracts and of macular degeneration.1-3 Aim for 10 mg a day of each.1-3

Both vitamin A and vitamin C are excellent supplement ideas (at daily doses of 2,000 IU and 500 mg, respectively). Bilberry is a very common supplement for vision, as it contains a flavonoid that may help protect against cataracts. Studies have mostly homed in on its ability to improve night vision.4 Take 120 mg twice a day.

Two other supplements to round out your best choices are zinc (a mineral found in each retina naturally) and pine bark extract — 20 mg and 50 mg, respectively.

By giving your eyes the nutrients they need, you’ll go a long way in preventing the onset of age-related vision loss.

References

1. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2002;75: 540-9.
2. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999: 70: 517-24.
3. JAMA 1994: 272: 1,413-20.
MediHerb Prof. Rev. 1997; 59:1-4.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Victor Marchione has been practicing medicine in New York and New Jersey for over 20 years and is a respected leader in the field of nutrition, smoking cessation and pulmonary medicine. He has been featured on ABC News, CBS Evening News, and the NBC Today Show. He is also the chief formulator of the Red Wine Pill from Bel Marra Nutritionals.]"

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Two notes are worth adding to this post plus the one I did on Thursday, 7-23.:

1. The carnosine that I posted about on Thursday, 7-23 that had such a strong effect on preventing or even reversing early stage cataracts possibly also tends to turn off a process called glycation.

Another supplement that has that effect is DMAE. So that might be useful to take also.

But of even greater importance is that glycation tends to be caused by too high levels of blood sugar.

So eliminating soft drinks and, as much as you can, eating foods made from refined grains plus limiting sugar and NOT eating foods with high fructose corn syrup may well also help prevent cataracts. (Eat nonstarchy vegetables, whole fresh fruit, health OK protein foods, and health OK oils instead -- & drink club soda, water, tea, green tea, coffee, -- and red wine in moderation – instead of soft drinks.)

Similarly, doing regular and vigorous strength training and interval cardio of some kind each week tends to keep your insulin level down, protect your blood vessels in several ways, and normalize blood sugar levels. So in addition to all its other benefits, that kind of exercise may also help prevent cataracts.

2. Bilberry is not only very strongly protective for your eyes by improving night vision, it also helps keep your eyes, brain, and heart healthy by helping to keep your blood vessels and circulation healthy.

And, Nature Way’s bilberry supplement also contains elderberry extract. While we are all worried about swine flu, it’s worth noting that elderberry has been shown to help keep flu symptoms moderate or get rid of them faster.

So Nature Way’s bilberry supplement is also a good eye protective supplement to consider that may also help protect you against regular flu and swine flu.