January 29, 2004

Newsletter #48

VISION PROTECTION

By Marcia Zimmerman, Med, CN

ANTIOXIDANTS AND OTHER NUTRIENTS PREVENT EYE PROBLEMS

"The eyes are the windows of the soul"

--William Shakespeare

5 Steps To Improve Vision

Everyone would be wise to follow

these tips, even young people

and those blessed with 20/20

vision.

1. Avoid excess UV exposure.

2. Reduce stress and get enough rest.

3. Eat plenty of orange, yellow, red,

dark green, and purple fruits/vegetables,

plus two servings of fatty fish each week.

4. Take a daily multiple, a good vision

formula to reduce specific symptoms.

5. Quit smoking, and look for natural

alternatives to steroids.

The eyes -- actually, an extension of the brain--are amazingly complex, with each containing more than a billion total parts. Although the brain and eyes make up only 2 percent of total body weight, they utilize 25

percent of total nutrients to meet their daily requirements. The eyes require a large amount of both vitamin

C and fatty acids, and they use more zinc than any other organ in the body. Our eyes also need a third of the amount of oxygen used by the heart. Consequently, nutrition and lifestyle have a direct impact on vision.

SOLUTIONS FOR COMMON

VISION PROBLEMS

A cataract is a clouding, or opacity, inside the lens of the eye, which should be transparent. This condition is caused by many factors, the primary one being free-radical damage to lens proteins. These proteins are normally colorless, buy years of exposure to sunlight generate free radicals that create whitish spots on the proteins. Cataracts are extremely common, occurring in nearly 50 percent of those who've reached 65 years of age. Lifestyle factors that increase the incidence of cataracts include smoking, prolonged use of

steroids (such as nasal inhalants for asthma), poor digestion, chronic bowel problems, obesity, and use of

photosensitizing drugs (i.e., antibiotics and diuretics).

For cataract prevention and treatment, increase your dietary intake of yellow, orange, red, purple, and dark green antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Scientific studies have shown that people with the highest blood levels of the carotenoids--alpha carotene, beta carotene, lycopene, and lutein found in bright-

ly colored foods--have the lowest risk by 64 percent in a large Spanish population study.

Supplements of vitamin C and flavonoids may be particularly important for preventing cataracts. Women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study who took vitamin C for at least ten years were less than 25

percent as likely to develop cataracts as women who did not supplement. Another antioxidant that's important for cataract prevention is lipoic acid.

Glaucoma is a compolex condition that results in damage to the optic nerve, which causes vision loss.

Many individuals with this condition develop higher than normal ocular pressure. Glaucoma is related to

Impaired drainage of intraocular fluids and to insufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. Glaucoma is often

Attributed to stress, says Robert Abel, MD, a Wilmington, Delaware, ophthalmologist. As stress builds,

blood transport of oxygen and nutrients to the eyes can be substantially reduced. It's no surprise, then, that many glaucoma patients also have high blood pressure. Thyroid disorders, obesity, diabetes, and cardio-

vascular disease can also cause glaucoma.

You can do several things to reduce your risk of glaucoma. Control your stress level with exercise and meditation, and take a stress formula that includes adaptogenic herbs such as eleuthero, formerly Siberian

Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) or ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and B vitamins. If you use

steroid inhalers, substitute saline washes or nutraceutical inhalants. The herb Coleus forskohlii is also

effective in treating asthma and may reduce dependence upon steroids. C. forskohlii may also reduce fluid

pressure in the eye. High doses of vitamin C (10,000 to 15,000 mg per day) appear to reduce intraocular pressure. Follow the dietary guidelines suggested for cataracts.

Floaters are cells in the vetreous humor that are left over from early development of ocular tissues.

Later in life, they are caused appear to some as little dots that seem to move around; many people who

have them don't even notice them. Most nearsighted people have floaters. This condition can become more bothersome as we age. You should seek professional care right away if you suddenly notice a large number of floaters, or if they seem to move around.

Lifestyle factors underlying floaters are trauma to the eyes, frequent heavy lifting, coughing, vomiting,

straining at stool, and rubbing the eyes. Avoiding such practices while increasing dietary intake of flavonoid- and antioxidant-rich foods and supplements may help prevent floaters from becoming a real

nuisance.

Retnopathy is marked by the leaking away of blood or fluids that should be nourishing the retina. A

leading cause of blindness in people with diabetes, retinopathy may be prevented by dietary and lifestyle

changes for other conditions. Lester Packer, PhD, at the University of California at Berkeley, recommends supplementing with alpha lipoic acid to reduce symptoms of diabetic pathologies including cataracts, vas-

cular damage, and nerve damage. Additionally, anthocyanidin-rich berries oligomeric proanthocyandins

(OPCs) from grape seed or pine bark extracts strengthen retinal capillaries and reduce bleeding.

VISION FORMULAS

Many of the supplements suggested above are available in formulas that address the special needs of your

eyes. The best formulas include a range of natural carotenoids including zeaxanthin and lutein. A good

formula should also contain vitamin E, alpha lipoic acid, and the B vitamins B2, B5, folic acid and niacin.

Most also contain vitamin C and flavonoids, buy you may need extra vitamin C and OPCs, depending upon

your individual prevention plan.

Additionally, herbs such as bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and ginkgo (G. biloba) may be included in eye formulas to enhance circulation. Vision formulas are best used in addition to a daily multiple vitamin

and mineral supplement.

SELECTED SOURCES

The Antioxidant Miracle by Lester Packer, PhD

The Eye Care Revolution by Robert Abel, MD

"Lens Aging in Relation to Nutritional Determinants and Possible Risk Factors for Age-related Catarct"

by T.T. Berendscyot

"Long-term Nutrient Intake and Early Age-related Nuclear Lens Opacities" by P.F. Jacques

"Molecular Aspects of Lipoic Acid in the Prevention of Diabetes Complications: by L. Packer, PhD

"Natural Therapies for Ocular Disorders…Cataracts and Glaucoma" by K. Head

"Plasma Antioxidant Vitamins and Carotenoids and Age-related Cataract" by C.R. Gale

"The Roche European American Cataract Trial (REACT):a Randomized Clinical Trial to Investigate the Efficacy

of an Oral Antioxidant Micronutrient Mixture to Slow Progression of Age-related Cataract" by L.T. Chylack, Jr.

"Serum Carotenoids and Tocopherols and Incidence of Age-related Nuclear Cataract" by J.J. Lyle

"Vitamin C Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Cataract in a Mediterranean Population" by M.P. Valero