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Berkeley Wellness Alerts
June 29, 2010 | Comments: 3
A Supplement to Save Your Vision?
Some eye supplements are promoted to protect against age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of vision loss among older people. Do they work?
Ocuvite products contain combinations of beta carotene and other carotenoids, vitamin C and E, copper, zinc, and other nutrients. In people who already have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the combination found in Ocuvite’s PreserVision can help slow vision loss in about one in four cases. This was shown in a large clinical trial called AREDS. If you already have AMD, you should certainly talk with your doctor about taking PreserVision or its equivalent. There are many copycat products, usually called “eye supplements” and sold under different brand names in stores and on the Internet. These are not prescription drugs, but if you have AMD, you should take them on your doctor’s advice only.
There is no evidence that “eye formulas,” including Ocuvite PreserVision, can prevent AMD, though—despite their marketing for that. In the hope of finding some preventive for AMD and possibly cataracts, the ongoing AREDS study is looking at various formulas (with and without zinc, with and without omega-3 fats, and so on). But other solid studies have failed to find a benefit for AMD, according to a review by the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent research group.
No one knows how to prevent AMD. The most important step is not to smoke. Also, eat a healthy diet rich in plant foods—carrots, colorful fruits, leafy greens, and most vegetables are especially good for your eyes. Zinc is found in meat, seafood, beans, brewer’s yeast, dairy products, and other foods. Recent studies suggest that omega-3 fats may reduce the risk of AMD—another good reason, besides heart health, to eat at least two servings of fish a week.
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I noticed 'quit smoking' is the sttandard advice for every condition known to mankind. My great grandmother died in 1944 at the age of 94, after smoking her last cigerette a couple hours before hand. If she just had not smoked that last cig she could be srtting medical history today...
Posted by: oldguy1 | July 3, 2010 6:41 PM
I'm in the early stages of cataracts and I had a big improvement in my eyes and less tiredness when I started taking l-carnosine. I know the Russians use another form of it to treat cataracts, and I wasn't optimistic about taking the capsules, though they have other useful health effects. Within five days colours had gone brighter again, and the eyestrain went away. As a novelist I work with my eyes a lot, so this was very important. After a yearly check-up I was told by my optometrist that my cataracts hadn't progressed.
Anna Jacobs
Posted by: Anna Jacobs | July 10, 2010 11:58 PM
I read that those who have apnia are more likely to have glaucoma. If you have a c-pap machine with a mask and a high pressure index, I wouldn't doubt that blowing that much air into your respiratory system could raise your eye pressure. I'm wondering if this relationship was ever studied to determine if those c-pap machines may be a cause of higher eye pressures.
Posted by: Dr. Know | June 19, 2011 11:14 PM