Dr. Grossman’s Blog

Keratoconus is the bulging of the cornea, a condition that occurs in approximately 100,000 – 150,000 people in the United States. Symptoms include visual distortion with and without eyeglasses and problems wearing standard contact lenses do not fit well.

Approximately 40-50 percent of Keratoconus patients have allergies. Allergies may contribute to the problem, but this is not confirmed in any studies. Magnesium deficiencies, which can cause a thinning of elastic membranes like the cornea, are linked to Keratoconus. Factors contributing to magnesium deficiency includes alcoholism, pregnancy, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, consumption of diuretics and stress. Low magnesium can cause a thinning of elastic membranes such as the cornea.

Conventional treatment indicates the use of gas permeable contact lenses (one needs to see a specialist that fits contacts for Keratoconus or, if severe, corneal transplant.

Our natural approach to eye disease treatment and prevention indicates that those suffering from keratoconus should consider taking recommended supplements and making proper life style changes that will improve overall health, and, by extension, vision health. These steps include: limiting the consumption of saturated fats, greasy fried foods, refined sugars and carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners (saccharine and aspartame); daily exercise; maintaining emotional health; limit caffeine and alcohol consumption; wear 100% UVA and UVB protecting wraparound sunglasses with a brimmed hat when you are outside.

To learn more about keratoconus and other eye disease, click here.

Fresh-cut fruits is one of the fastest growing food categories in U.S. supermarkets, but what effect does processing and storage have on the nutritional value of the fruit?

Surprisingly, an international team of scientists has found that cutting and packaging fruit had almost no affect on the main antioxidants.

Their report, published in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, shows that fresh-cut fruit retains vitamin C and other healthful antioxidants after days on the shelf.

The researchers obtained pineapples, mangoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, strawberries and kiwifruits from wholesale commercial sources in California.  The fruit was taken to a laboratory at the University of California in Davis. Half of each lot was processed as fresh-cut and half left whole.

Both lots were refrigerated under identical conditions for nine days and then tested for nutrient content. Tests showed only small losses of antioxidant compounds in the cut fruit compared to fruit left whole. Levels of some antioxidants in fresh-cut mango and watermelon actually increased due to exposure to light.

In general, researchers found that fresh-cut fruits visually spoil before any significant nutrient loss occurs. 

Learn more about antioxidants

Read other articles about the benefits of antioxidants for good eye health

SOURCE:  Quality Changes and Nutrient Retention in Fresh-Cut versus Whole Fruits during Storage, Gil et al, J. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 54 (12), pp 4284–4296.

Regular Eye Exams are Vital for Driver Safety

11 million Americans with could be driving with uncorrected vision problems. Depending on where those drivers live, their last DMV-required vision screening could have been eighteen years ago; some may never have had one at all, according to a report by the Vision Council of America (VCA). 

“Our already crowded roads are made that much more dangerous by drivers with uncorrected vision problems getting behind the wheel,” said Ed Greene, VCA chief executive officer. “Since 85 percent of the information needed for safe driving is visual, regular eye exams are an important part of driver safety.”

The VCA report “Keeping Our Eyes on the Road,” reviewed vision screening laws and found them to be inconsistent. While some states require vision screenings every time drivers renew their licenses, other drivers may go as long as 18 years before they are required to have their vision re-checked. Nine states require no vision screening at all for license renewal. In the absence of standards for vision screenings, drivers must be responsible for maintaining good vision.

“We rely on our eyes every time we step into a car; especially our peripheral vision, depth perception and focusing skills,” said Greene.  “This link between vision and driving makes it essential for motorists to take steps to maintain healthy vision, just as they take other safety precautions on the road.”

“People often don’t notice gradual changes in their vision which, over time, can impede their ability to drive safely,” said ophthalmologist Elaine G. Hathaway, M.D. “Checking your eyes is important not only to determine proper vision correction, but also to detect cataracts and sight-threatening diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration so they can be properly treated.”

VCA suggests the following tips to help drivers stay safe on the roads:

• Take breaks when driving long distances to reduce eye strain and fatigue
• Use sunglasses with at least 99 percent UV protection when appropriate
• Investigate anti-reflective or polarized lenses to allow more light to enter the eye and to minimize glare
• Keep headlights, taillights and windshield (both inside and outside) clean
• Receive regular eye exams by an eye care professional to ensure that your eyes stay healthy and your prescription remains current

Regardless of what your state requires, VCA recommends that drivers receive a regular comprehensive eye exam by an eye care professional to maintain healthy vision.  With regular vision care, drivers can prevent poor sight from putting themselves and their loved ones at risk on the road.

SOURCE:  Vision Council of America, Keeping Our Eyes on the Road, November 19, 2007.

A new study has found that common vision problems known as refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism) affect half the adult U.S population.

The study authors, led by Susan Vitale of the U.S. National Eye Institute, analyzed data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ongoing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In this study an autorefractor was used to obtain refractive error data on a nationally representative sample of 12,010 adults in the U.S. population between 1999 and 2004.

Of the participants (all aged 20 or older), researchers found:

• 3.6% had hyperopia (farsightedness),
• 33.1% had myopia (nearsightedness), and
• 36.1% had astigmatism (an irregular corneal curve)

Other findings:

Juicing Fundamentals II:

What to Juice?

There are many different recipes but in general at least 50-75% of the juicing should consist of greens: spinach, kale, chard, parsley, dandelion, watercress, broccoli, etc.

Sample Juicing Recipes for Specific Eye Conditions

Cataracts, Conjunctivitis
Carrot, spinach, celery, endive, parsley, blueberry, apple

Glaucoma
Celery, carrots, cucumber, radish, turnip, parsley, beets, cabbage, raspberries, plums, apple (not too much fruit).

Macular Degeneration
Broccoli, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, apples, raspberries, greens

Other Conditions

Peptic Ulcers – cabbage juice promotes rapid healing of patients with peptic ulcers

Urinary Tract Infections – cranberry juice is well known to help with bladder and urinary tract infections

Heart Disease – also well known is the beneficial effect of pomegranate juice. Antioxidants (compounds that limit cell damage by fighting free radicals) contained in pomegranate juice may help reduce the formation of fatty deposits on artery walls. The antioxidant level in pomegranate juice was found to be higher than that in other natural juices, such as blueberry, cranberry, and orange juices, as well as red wine.

Resources
N.W. Walker, D.Sc. – “Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: what’s missing in your body?
Michael T. Murray, N.D. – “The Complete Book of Juicing”

Paul Pitchford, N.D. – “Healing with Whole Foods”

Research on peptic ulcers & cabbage juice
Research on UTI & cranberry juice

We consider daily juicing of primarily organic vegetables and fruits to be an essential part of any long term healing program. Juicing provides a highly effective and efficient way for the body to be able to absorb essential nutrients into the blood and cells, taking a little as a few minutes for the body to start utilizing these nutrients.

Why is juicing so important?

1. What are enzymes? The basic key to the efficacy of nourishing your body is the life present in food and of those intangible elements known as enzymes. Â See more info …
2. Why not just eat fruits and vegetables for our essential nutrients? Solid food requires many hours of digestive activity before its nourishment is finally available to the cells and tissues of the body. See more info …
3. Can juicing prevent disease? Many studies point out that a diet high in fruits and vegetables does in fact reduce the incidents of serious disease.
4. Do vegetables contain protein? Although fruits and vegetables do not contain large quantities of protein, their juice can be a convenient carrier. See more info …
5. What are phytochemicals? They are substances in plants that are linked to good health and to prevention of specific diseases. They are found only in fruits and vegetables, and juicing is a great way to get them.
6. How much juicing can be taken safely? As much as one can drink comfortably without forcing oneself. Recommended amount of juice per day is at least 1 pint per day. Some healing centers actually do 2-8 pints per day for therapeutic purposes.
7. Can I store the juice I make? Juices should generally be drunk when prepared, since certain enzymes and vitamins break down pretty quickly in sunlight.
8. What combinations of fruits and vegetables would be best to juice? There are many different recipes See more info …, but in general at least 50-75% of the juicing should consist of greens (spinach, kale, chard, parsley, dandelion, watercress, broccoli, etc.)
9. Can I still continue to eat fast food and sugar products? These should be kept to an absolute minimum as they use our precious resources to breakdown and digest, offering little in the way of healthy nutrients.
10. Should I use only organic products? In general, yes. By juicing all non-organic products, we stand the chance of taking in concentrated amounts of pesticides used on the plants, thereby negating the value of daily juicing. See more info …
11. What juicer should I use? There are a number of excellent juicers. The juicer we decided to offer on our website is the Omega 8002 juicer, which juices without generating heat that can destroy some of the essential nutrients. At 80 RPM (most juicers work at 3600 RPM and higher), it essentially masticates the fruits and vegetables slowly, preserving the most nutrients possible. The disadvantage is that the process is a little slower, and cleaning takes a couple of more minutes.

Next week I’ll talk about what juices are good for specific diseases.