Nutrition and Macular Degeneration
Nutrition and Macular degeneration....
An Age-Related Eye Disease Study released by the National Eye Institute late in 2001 concluded that there is strong evidence to support the conclusion that improved nutrition helps slow or delay the onset of macular degeneration.
They highly recommend the inclusion of foods rich in caretonoids like lutein and zeaxanthin in your diet as a nutritional means of combatting age related eye disease, and specifically macular degeneration. What is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the macula - an area of the retina approximately 3 mm in diameter that is responsible for interpreting fine details in vision.
Scientists speculate that the accumulation of free radicals in the macula result in macular scarring that leads to gradual degeneration of central vision. There are two main forms of macular degeneration.
The first, wet macular degeneration, is caused when extra capillaries grow beneath the surface of the macula, blocking vision.
The second, dry macular degeneration, is caused by the growth of small granular deposits on the underside of the macula. The damage to vision caused by macular degeneration is currently thought to be irreversible, but a growing body of evidence points to the value of nutrition and macular degeneration strategies in preventing vision loss and slowing the effects of the disease.
The National Institute of Health estimates that 10 million Americans over the age of 55 are affected by Age Related Macular Degeneration, making it the single leading cause of blindness in older adults.
In a fair percentage of older adults, the macula begins to deteriorate, causing loss of detail vision, and eventual blindness if left unchecked. Surgical intervention, sometimes recommended for wet macular degeneration, is rarely successful, and has a high rate of recurrence, often with a worsening of the symptoms.
There is no recommended treatment for dry macular degeneration, but several studies conducted since 2001, offer promising hope that good nutrition and macular degeneration offers a highly effective means in preventing and slowing the deterioration of vision resulting from this condition.
Nutrition and Macular DegenerationThere has long been a suspicion that macular degeneration is caused by the same kind of arterial plaque deposits that cause heart disease in adults.
Following that reasoning, researchers theorized that changes in diet and adding nutritional supplements could affect the rate of deterioration in the macula in adults showing signs of macular degeneration.
They suggested that improving nutrition and macular degeneration by following the 'Heart-Smart' diet recommended for cardio-vascular health would also have a positive effect on this eye condition.
Another theory implicates free radicals in the creation of macular scarring - the granular deposits that form on the underside of the macula.
Strategies that slow the thinning of the macula, or help to thicken its density are believed to decrease the damage done by existing scarring and prevent the formation of further scars.
Since the macula contains high concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin, they suggested adding foods with a high nutritional density of those antioxidants to the daily diet. Therefore, good nutrition and macular degeneration go hand in hand, which we will discuss below.
Nutrition and Macular Degeneration....
As the macula itself contains high concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthins, researchers speculated that foods and nutritional supplements rich in those two antioxidants could reduce the chance that early macular degeneration would worsen.
In addition, as fat is implicated in the formation of plaque on arteries, they also speculated that a diet low in fat would prevent the occurrence of macular degeneration.
Researchers followed 90,000 patients for 12 years, studying dietary patterns and correlating the intake of particular nutrients with the occurrence of macular degeneration.
Nutrition and Macular Degeneration....
The results showed that those adults whose diets followed the precepts of good nutrition and macular degeneration were the least at risk for developing this condition, and that among those who already showed intermediate macular degeneration, good nutrition could slow the rate of worsening by as much as 40%.
The original results suggesting that improvied nutrition would lead to improved vision have since been confirmed by a study conducted at Harvard School for Public Health and two nationwide studies, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and Health Professional Follow Up Study (HPFS).
The conclusions of all three are remarkably similar: improved nutrition and macular degeneration that includes reducing fat and increasing the intake of beta-carotenoids can prevent and help slow the progress of macular degeneration in older adults.
Macular Degeneration and Nutrition...
Based on the results of these studies into preventing macular degeneration through nutrition, the two most effective nutritional strategies for combatting the effects of macular degeneration are:
Once macular degeneration has been diagnosed, the positive effects of diet alone are limited, though still very beneficial.
Go beyond just nutrition and macular degneration....
Experts suggest that adding the following nutritional supplements to your daily regimen can help prevent further loss of vision:
We hope you have found our nutrition and macular degeneration page helpful. Featured Product with Lutein and ZeaxanthinOne company that produces a product that contains vital nutrients for eye health is Xtend-Life Natural Products.Their flagship formula, Total Balance, contains both lutein and zeaxanthin, along with other important nutrients for the eyes, such as the mineral zinc, and the vitamins C and E, and bilberry.
Total Balance contains almost 70 nutrients in total, many of which go far beyond just protecting eye health.
We here at Beat Your Health Condition have personally been taking Total Balance for over 2 years.
Another excellent product for macular degeneration is called Vizu-All Plus from Native Remedies, a seller of top notch all natural products and remedies for health conditions.
Click the link below to learn more now:
|