Lutein And Low Vision
Fruits and vegetables have another disease-fighting weapon to offer: Lutein. Studies show this carotenoid prevents and, to some extent, reverses vision loss, immune system problems, cancer and cardiovascular disease. With that in mind, load up your plate with foods high in lutein -- carrots, corn, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, collard, mustard greens, red peppers, dill, parsley, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes and red, blue and purple fruits.
Is your vision blurred? I know mine is after sitting in front of the television for a while. In that case, you and I need to eat more lutein-rich foods. A few weeks after consuming more lutein-rich foods or lutein supplements, some normal-sighted people report less glare, improved color vision and sharper vision. This suggests that lutein and its companion carotenoid zeaanthin may save our sight by acting as a shield or filter that helps to absorb harmful light and dangerous molecules, both of which threaten the retinal tissue. Using products for macular degeneration or specialized low vision aids together with lutein helps the most.
Though everyone's sight could benefit from a diet high in lutein, it can literally save the sight of those who have family histories of macular degeneration and other vision loss problems. If someone in your family has experienced vision loss of sight at an old age, then your high-lutein diet should start long before you reach middle age. In a Houston University study, women with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin experienced a 19 percent reduced risk of cataracts, while men reduced their risk by 22 percent.
A dietary intake of only six milligrams of lutein per day decreases your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration by 38 percent. Everyone over the age of 50 should be taking lutein supplements. However, if you are already experiencing macular degeneration or other vision problems, a high-lutein diet can still help you save your sight by increasing the density of your macular pigment. Macular degeneration may be stabilized or reversed with nutritional intervention, He later goes on to say, By far, lutein is the number one nutritional treatment for the disease.
Not only will lutein save your sight, it may also boost your immune system and, accordingly, prevent cancer. Healthy people seeking to boost overall immune function should consider consuming 5,000 IU of beta-carotene daily, along with other carotenoids, such as lycopene and lutein. By boosting your immunity, lutein decreases your chances of getting cancer, since development of cancer as a disease is associated with immune system impairment. I know you've probably heard this a million times, but just in case you haven't, I'll say it again: We all have cancer cells. Cancer cells develop in our bodies all the time, but our immune systems normally remove the malignant cells before they can develop into the symptoms we call cancer. In addition to boosting your immune system, lutein may also fight cancer by both protecting your cells from free radical damage and increasing cell-to-cell communication, thus preventing them from turning malignant.
However lutein prevents cancer, we know it works. People with high-lutein diets at any age decreased their chances of developing colon cancer; additionally, young people with high-lutein diets decreased their chances. Studies show that a diet high in lutein will also decrease your chances of other cancers, including cancers of the lung and breast. Women who have low levels of lutein have a 2.08-fold increased risk of breast cancer, so not eating enough lutein-rich foods can actually harm you.
It's easy to add more lutein to your diet because it's found in so many foods. Just refer back to the list you read above. In addition, lutein is seven times more available from vegetables than beta-carotene, Just adding a few more fruits and vegetables to your plate each day may save your sight, boost your immune system, prevent you from developing cancer and reduce your chances of having a heart attack.
How to get more information on low vision products - Ask your Eye MD for a Low vision Specialist. Low vision specialists are licensed doctors of optometry who are trained in the examination and management of patients with visual impairments. A few of them are ophthalmologists with additional training in low vision care. Their services do not offer a cure for the causes of low vision, but they do help the patient learn how to utilize their remaining vision to its fullest potential. Low vision care does not replace the possible need for other treatments such as laser, medication, and surgery.
Is your vision blurred? I know mine is after sitting in front of the television for a while. In that case, you and I need to eat more lutein-rich foods. A few weeks after consuming more lutein-rich foods or lutein supplements, some normal-sighted people report less glare, improved color vision and sharper vision. This suggests that lutein and its companion carotenoid zeaanthin may save our sight by acting as a shield or filter that helps to absorb harmful light and dangerous molecules, both of which threaten the retinal tissue. Using products for macular degeneration or specialized low vision aids together with lutein helps the most.
Though everyone's sight could benefit from a diet high in lutein, it can literally save the sight of those who have family histories of macular degeneration and other vision loss problems. If someone in your family has experienced vision loss of sight at an old age, then your high-lutein diet should start long before you reach middle age. In a Houston University study, women with diets high in lutein and zeaxanthin experienced a 19 percent reduced risk of cataracts, while men reduced their risk by 22 percent.
A dietary intake of only six milligrams of lutein per day decreases your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration by 38 percent. Everyone over the age of 50 should be taking lutein supplements. However, if you are already experiencing macular degeneration or other vision problems, a high-lutein diet can still help you save your sight by increasing the density of your macular pigment. Macular degeneration may be stabilized or reversed with nutritional intervention, He later goes on to say, By far, lutein is the number one nutritional treatment for the disease.
Not only will lutein save your sight, it may also boost your immune system and, accordingly, prevent cancer. Healthy people seeking to boost overall immune function should consider consuming 5,000 IU of beta-carotene daily, along with other carotenoids, such as lycopene and lutein. By boosting your immunity, lutein decreases your chances of getting cancer, since development of cancer as a disease is associated with immune system impairment. I know you've probably heard this a million times, but just in case you haven't, I'll say it again: We all have cancer cells. Cancer cells develop in our bodies all the time, but our immune systems normally remove the malignant cells before they can develop into the symptoms we call cancer. In addition to boosting your immune system, lutein may also fight cancer by both protecting your cells from free radical damage and increasing cell-to-cell communication, thus preventing them from turning malignant.
However lutein prevents cancer, we know it works. People with high-lutein diets at any age decreased their chances of developing colon cancer; additionally, young people with high-lutein diets decreased their chances. Studies show that a diet high in lutein will also decrease your chances of other cancers, including cancers of the lung and breast. Women who have low levels of lutein have a 2.08-fold increased risk of breast cancer, so not eating enough lutein-rich foods can actually harm you.
It's easy to add more lutein to your diet because it's found in so many foods. Just refer back to the list you read above. In addition, lutein is seven times more available from vegetables than beta-carotene, Just adding a few more fruits and vegetables to your plate each day may save your sight, boost your immune system, prevent you from developing cancer and reduce your chances of having a heart attack.
How to get more information on low vision products - Ask your Eye MD for a Low vision Specialist. Low vision specialists are licensed doctors of optometry who are trained in the examination and management of patients with visual impairments. A few of them are ophthalmologists with additional training in low vision care. Their services do not offer a cure for the causes of low vision, but they do help the patient learn how to utilize their remaining vision to its fullest potential. Low vision care does not replace the possible need for other treatments such as laser, medication, and surgery.
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