Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. CAROTENOIDS FOR MORE THAN EYE HEALTH, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 660 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …
As we age, our risk of developing a cataract increases. But there are also other factors that can contribute to this issue, which may lead to blurry vision and even blindness. Learn more about what might put you at risk for cataracts from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
floaters
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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Have you ever noticed little shapes or squiggly lines in your vision? This is known as eye floaters. Today, I want to talk about why floaters occur, when they become incredibly problematic and what you can be doing to stop this from occurring in the first place.†
Floaters are actually pretty common as we get older. They start to increase. Researchers estimate that by the time someone is in their 70s, about 30 to 40% of the population has chronic eye floaters.†
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Floaters appear as these small spots which are right in your field of vision. They are certainly age-related or induced because of the aging process. One of the things that we recognize about eye floaters is when we have a breakdown of certain nutrients in the body, such as inadequate Vitamin C, a lack of antioxidants and the wearing away of hyaluronic acid. These are all factors that can actually exacerbate or even create floaters.†
When we look at the anatomy of the eye, there is a gel-like substance that is in the middle part of the eye called the vitreous. As we get older, that vitreous starts to shrink within the eye itself, creating these small particles. It is these particles that we’re actually seeing as they pass in front of the macula.†
We have to think about why we are having this issue in the first place. Is it because we’re not getting adequate nutrients?†
We can certainly look at Vitamin C. This is a powerful antioxidant that does a wonderful job in terms of the elimination of toxic waste build up and helps to target and neutralize free radicals. Citric acid itself helps to improve upon proper lymphatic and circulatory supply. Having adequate Vitamin C really does so much to support our visual health. When people experience floaters, having adequate amounts of Vitamin C on board can be very beneficial.†
We can also look at a basic, comprehensive eye vitamin, such as the Macula HxⓇ Advanced. It has NAC, the mineral zinc, Vitamin C, zeaxanthin, bilberry extract and powerful carotenoids. Giving your eyes the nutrients that they need each and every single day is very helpful.†
There is also a strong relationship between eye floaters and calcium. As people get older, there’s always the concern about bone health, so they will begin to use a calcium supplement. There’s an interesting link between the use of calcium supplements and the lessening of frequency of eye floaters. This is why I oftentimes recommend the Bone Powder and the Calplex HxⓇ to people with floaters.†
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In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH explains what eye floaters are. She describes the ways that this issue can come about and provides recommendations of supplements that can help.†
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[sgmb id=”1″] According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, Macular Degeneration is an incurable eye disease caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina (the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see and sends them through the …
Your eyes are similar to a camera. Like a camera, if any part of your eye becomes damaged, you do not get a clear picture. Some of the common risks that affect your vision are your lifetime exposure to sunlight, your age, and smoking. All …
Lutein, a nutrient and antioxidant found in foods such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and egg yolks and extracted from marigolds to make dietary supplements, has been studied as a critical component for maintaining good vision health. A large government study has found that a daily combination of dietary supplements (including Lutein) reduces the risk of a chronic eye disease known as age related macular degeneration from progressing to an advanced stage where there is a risk of blindness.
Other studies have suggested Lutein can improve vision in healthy adults and improve age-related cognition. When consumed, Emily Y. Chew, deputy clinical director at the federal National Eye Institute explains, the two nutrients Lutein and its close relative Zeaxanthin, often referred to as macular carotenoids, are deposited in the center of the retina, where they protect sensitive eye cells from incoming light. These nutrients are believed to serve as antioxidants in the eye by protecting the cells from damage by oxidation, she adds.
In a federally funded 4,203 person study published earlier this year in the *Journal of the American Medical Association, Lutein and Zeaxanthin when taken along with vitamins C and E, zinc and copper helped prevent the progression of this eye disease that is common in the elderly (macular degeneration) in people who already have it, says Dr. Chew, co-author of the study.
In 2010, a study based on a large database of Americans and published in the *Journal of the American Dietetic Association, indicated that the average American was not getting enough Lutein and found the average daily consumption of Lutein was less than a milligram a day. Elizabeth J. Johnson, a scientist at the Jean Mayer U.S Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at the Tufts University in Boston, said. An additional study of nearly 300 centenarians and octogenarians in 2013, conducted by Dr. Johnson and published in the Journal of Aging Research found that the higher blood levels of Lutein were linked to better performance on a series of brain-function tests, like word-association. Dr. Johnson explains, “If you have more Lutein in the brain, it’s likely that you have better cognition.”
For more information or studies on this nutrient and antioxidant, please click here!