Macular Degeneration Treatment Tips

These two especially important carotenoids cannot be synthesised by the body. We have to consume them in foods or in supplements. So what can we eat to get Lutein? Dark, leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, turnip greens and collard greens are rich in lutein, and it’s also found in corn, peas, carrots, peppers, parsley, potatoes and sweet potatoes, yellow and orange fruits, red, blue and purple fruits, and in egg yolks.

Mind you, you would have to eat a large bowl of fresh (preferably organic) leafy greens to get sufficient quantities of lutein vitamins, and most of us don’t manage to do that on a regular daily basis.

You could also try adding edible marigold or calendula petals to salads, since lutein supplements are often made from marigolds! Brilliant gold, yellow or orange, the marigold used to be known as a ‘Herb of the Sun’ which held the sun’s power in its flowers. Interesting … since the role of lutein is to protect the eye from damage by the sun’s rays, as explained in Part 1 of this entry. Herbalists credit marigolds also with greatly benefiting the veins and arteries – which seems relevant to AMD too, since blood vessel health is involved.

As for Zeaxanthin, it is found in many of the same foods as Lutein. Yellow corn, apricots, peaches, mangoes and orange bell pepper are also good sources.

The US Dietary Association Food Guide recommends around 3 mg of lutein as a daily requirement, but much research suggests a minimum of 6 – 10 mg daily. It’s generally agreed that both Lutein and Zeaxanthin need to be taken in higher doses than we obtain through our daily diet. Some doctors advise everyone over 50 to take lutein as a supplement, and cite it as by far the number one nutritional treatment for macular degeneration.

One of the most recent AREDS studies concerns Lutein and also Zeaxanthin. Follow-ups in the long-term study are still underway, but we already know these two substances are powerfully beneficial.

What are Lutein and Zeaxanthin? They are two carotenoid pigments naturally present in the human eye. In fact they are the only carotenoids (of many in circulation in the body) that accumulate in the eye. They are most highly concentrated in the central retina – in the macula, the area of sharpest vision. There they are referred to as the ‘macula lutea’, and they impart a yellow colour, luteal pigment.

Luteal pigment in the macula protects cells from light damage. Lutein absorbs harmful blue light, acting rather like a natural inbuilt sunblock for the eyes. So you see why it’s vital we have it working for us. Without lutein our vision suffers and deteriorates. On the other hand, after only a few weeks’ oral supplementation with lutein vitamins, which increased the amount of pigment in the macula, AMD patients reported sharper vision with better colour awareness and less glare.

Zeaxanthin also appears to protect photoreceptor cells in the central retina from damage by sunlight, and levels of this pigment are in inverse proportion to presence of AMD. Macula with AMD have less Lutein and Zeaxanthin present. Smokers also have less (and smoking is one of the risk factors for this eye disease). Generally these macular pigments become depleted with age.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are also good antioxidants; that is, like Vitamins A, C and E, they scavenge harmful ‘free radicals’ or reactive oxygen molecules. This means they also may be beneficial in prevention or treatment of other diseases, including cardiovascular disease, as well as AMD and vision loss. And Lutein benefits the skin as well.

So far the AREDS or Age Related Eye Disease Study has monitored the progression of age related macular degeneration and age related cataract in 4,757 people aged 55 to 80.

The research involves a series of randomized placebo-controlled studies. In one of the tests thousands of volunteer patients were given vitamin capsules or placebos. Throughout the study the volunteers’ vision was regularly monitored.

Today it’s simply about food: what to eat and what not to eat.

Food, glorious food … there’s no avoiding the effects diet has on health (especially evident as we age). What do you eat a lot of? Is your diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables? Because these, together with legumes and whole grains, are low on the glycemic index, which research shows can be important in preventing amd macular disease.

What’s more, fruits and vegetables and particularly leafy greens have inestimable health benefits. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Did you ever hear the saying "Eat raw carrots to see in the dark"? That’s based on the tonic properties of carrots on eyesight. Colourful vegetables and fruits, like carrots and squash, papaya and red and blue/black berries, contain carotenoids and flavinoids, known as near-magic ingredients to protect the body’s cells from cancer and degenerative diseases.

Eat fish to give you omega-3 efa’s (essential fatty acids). That essential omega 3 can also be found in fresh raw nuts, seeds and flaxseed or star-flower oils.

And what not to eat? Studies have shown that a diet high in fats and especially trans-fats elevates the risk of developing macular degeneration. It’s best to avoid a lot of processed food containing sugar, refined white flour and artificial additives. Sugary, refined foods rank high on the glycemic index and cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.