Dr. Grossman’s Blog

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Leafy greens are a vital source of two compounds vital to eye health: lutein and zeaxanthin.  Both of these cartenoids are powerful antioxidants that help prevent diseases like macular degeneration.

A new study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture aims to boost the safety and quality of field-grown organic leafy greens.

The project involves finding a way to use plant based materials to line the bags that greens are sold in with a hope of reducing or eliminating bacterial outbreaks like salmonella and E. coli.  Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207722.php

Learn more about foods can protect your eyes and promote health.

Prevent macular degeneration naturally with these tips.

A study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology shows that people with a body mass index of less than 25 are less likely than their peers to develop macular degeneration.  Daily exercise also helped keep the eye disease in check.  Over the course of the four year study patients who participated in vigorous exercise at least three times per week reduced the chance that the disease would worsen by 25%.

Source: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/study.asp?s_num=167

For more research on macular degeneration, visit our website.

To learn more about how to prevent and treat macular degeneration naturally, visit this page.

via minorityhealth.hhs.gov

Age is a major factor in the development of potentially debilitating eye conditions such as macular degeneration, but there are risk factors for the disease that one can control.  The two major contributors to the development of macular degeneration that you can avoid: smoking and fat intake.

The good news related to smoking and the development of macular degeneration is that you can cut your risk significantly if you quit (unlike some diseases where a past history of smoking is as bad a being a current smoker).  It’s another good incentive to kick the habit.

Regular intake of both animal and vegetable fats (including trans fats and hydrogenated fats) can make one twice as susceptible to macular degeneration.  It is important to focus on the good fats like those found in essential fatty acids.

For further information on how to prevent and treat macular degeneration naturally, visit our website.

via usda.gov

Macular Degeneration (ARMD-Aged Related Macular Degeneration) is the slow deterioration of the cells in the macula, a tiny yellowish area near the center of the retina where vision is the most precise, that affects the central vision. There is a common misconception that blindness is inevitable for those with macular degeneration, but there are a number of nutrients and supplements that can support the eyes and promote natural healing.

Research shows that the amino acid taurine has the ability to prevent, treat and stabilize retinal changes in some cases. Eggs and fish are good sources of taurine, but you can also take it in supplement form.
An important note: taurine should be taken on an empty stomach.

Even more important are the cartenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are primarily obtained from dark green leafy vegetables. Research shows that risk of AMD was significantly lower in those who increased the cartenoids in their diet – up to 43%. So, eat your spinach and your kale and your collards and consider supplementing your diet further to really protect yourself from macular degeneration.

Visit our page on macular degeneration to learn about other nutrients and compounds that can support your eye health.

Also, learn more about the nutrients available in your food at this page.

Image courtesy of Vision2020.org

Today, Thursday, October 14 is World Sight Day.  Included on the World Health Organization’s official calendar, one of the main goals of this yearly occasion is to raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment as major international public health issues.

Across the developing world, blindness is a huge issue.  Ninety percent of the world’s vision impaired people live in low income countries.  But so many eye problems – 80% according to World Sight Day organizers -  are preventable.  Vision2020 is dedicated to helping people across the globe.  Visit their site for details: http://www.vision2020.org/main.cfm

My work is dedicated to helping you prevent eye conditions that could lead to serious visual impairment such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or cataracts.

Take some time on this World Sight Day to educate yourself on how diet, exercise, supplementation, and an evaluation of your lifestyle habits could help you preserve the precious gift of sight.  Visit our page on preventing eye disease.

Request free eye exercises and tips tailored to your eye condition.

Image by ngould

There’s another piece of evidence that suggests moderate drinking – one or two alcoholic beverages each day – can be beneficial for the eyes.

A study of over 3,600 Australians found that when the figures were adjusted to account for other factors (including age, smoking, and diabetes), people who had one or two drinks each day were 50% less likely to have cataract surgery.  The moderate drinkers were less likely to require surgery for cataracts than counterparts who drank more as well as those who did not drink at all.

Source: http://www.osnsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=70524

Studies suggest that the resveratrol in one glass of red wine per day can help prevent macular degeneration.

Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts and other plants, can help preserve vision in those suffering from diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Researchers have found that resveratrol impedes the growth of new blood vessels in the eye, a condition called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is linked to eye diseases as well as cancer and atherosclerosis.  Resveratrol can inhibit this process; abnormal blood vessels disappears in the eyes of mice to which it was given.  Previous studies have reported how resveratrol can work on other blood vessels in the body, but this is first to document the effect in the eyes specifically.

Reported in The American Journal of Pathology. Source: http://www.elements4health.com/resveratrol-could-prevent-eye-diseases-such-as-diabetic-retinopathy.html

Excessive iron in the body or hemochromatosis may lead to the wet form of macular degeneration.  Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia suspect that too much iron, known to have cumulative negative effects throughout body, can also speed the aging in the eyes.  If there is a link between iron levels and macular degeneration, people may be able to ward off the eye disease by donating blood a couple times annually to reduce iron levels the amount if iron in the body.

For more ways to prevent macular degeneration, please visit our website.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/mcog-lbi062410.php

Oral supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin with coantioxidants may improve vision at 36 months for those at high risk for progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

In the Carotenoids and Co-Antioxidants in Age-Related Maculopathy (CARMA) study, presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2009 Annual Meeting, researchers examined the effects of supplementation with serum lutein and zeaxanthin plus coantioxidants (vitamins C and E and zinc) on visual function and the progression from early to late stages of AMD.

A total of 433 participants in the United Kingdom with early AMD in at least one eye, or any level of AMD in the study eye and late-stage AMD in the fellow eye, received either carotenoids plus coantioxidants or a placebo.

Study participants were examined at 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months. Although no statistically significant difference was seen in best corrected distance visual acuity (BC DVA) at 12 months, at the 36 month follow-up researchers did note an improved BC DVA.

Investigative team member Usha Chakravarthy, MD, PhD, from Queens University of Belfast in Northern Ireland concluded that supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin results in better macular function in patients with early AMD. He also noted that the eyes of people who had high serum (lutein) demonstrated a less severe early AMD change over time, and suggested that supplementation may prove beneficial in preventing progression to late AMD.

Learn about self-help for macular degeneration, including recommended diet and supplements containing lutein and zeaxanthin at the Natural Eye Care website

SOURCE: ARVO 2009: Lutein, Zeaxanthin Supplements May Result in Better Macular Function in Early AMD, Chakravarthy, et al, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), May 4, 2009.

Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) experience a deterioration of their central vision. Two thirds of AMD patients have problems with visuomotor and balance skills resulting in clumsiness and increased risk of falls.

A new study investigates the link between balance training and improved visual, vestibular and somatosensory functions involved in balance control. The investigation, published in the Journal of Vestibular Research, measured the impact of balance training on several visuomotor functions and reading speed.

Balance status statistics of 54 AMD patients were compared to 55 normal controls. Sixteen of these patients and 14 controls subsequently received balance training sessions on a postural platform. Researchers assessed postural sway, pointing accuracy, reading performance and, for the AMD patients, the effect of low vision training and balance training on the shift from several spontaneous Preferred Retinal Loci (PRLs) to one or more Trained Retinal Loci (TRL).

Even after a limited number of sessions of cross-modal balance training, the results show a significant improvement for the vestibular input and fixation stability, leading to the conclusion that more training sessions may help AMD patients gain more significant improvement of visuo-motor functions.

Learn more about AMD, including diet, nutrition, self-help and alternative treatment information at the Natural Eye Care website

Read other studies on AMD prevention and treatment options

SOURCE: Balance training and visual rehabilitation of age-related macular degeneration patients, Radvay, et al, Journal of Vestibular Research, Volume 17, Number 4, 2007, pages 183 – 193.