Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Glaucoma part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Today we will be completing our 2 part blog series on glaucoma. Let’s get right into it, shall we? The symptoms you may experience with glaucoma can vary slightly depending on the type you have. This is …
Glaucoma part 1 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Glaucoma is one eye condition that can become very dangerous very rapidly. If you notice symptoms that are coming on very rapidly it is imperative that you receive treatment to avoid any complications. Throughout this 2 part …
Lutein Plus for the eyes and beyond!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In today’s blog I will be reviewing a very popular Invite product, Lutein Plus. Lutein Plus contains lutein, zeaxanthin and DHA. Let’s start with 2 of the most well-known eye studies, AREDS and AREDS2. Both of these studies focus on a formula known as AREDS. Part of what this formula contains is 10 mg of lutein and 2 mg of zeaxanthin. And guess what? Lutein Plus contains exactly 10mg of lutein and 2mg of zeaxanthin! Now back to what the studies show. Well these studies have found that formulas with these nutrients can help to slow the progression of macular degeneration. (1)
In addition to being helpful for macular degeneration lutein has been found to have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits which may be helpful at reducing the symptoms of various chronic diseases. (2) According to studies lutein can help to reduce the risk of developing cataracts. (3) In fact one study with over 30,000 participants found a “significant reduction in cataract risk in those with the highest levels of lutein”. (4) Another study found that after just 2 years of use lutein supplementation was helpful in improving vision. (5) A 24 week study found that in those with Retinitis pigmentosa lutein supplementation significantly increased the visual field. (6) In addition to being studied for its benefits on vision lutein has been found to help with cognition or memory. In fact those with higher lutein levels have been found to have better cognitive ability scores than those with lower levels. (7) Lutein has even been studied and found to have benefits for our heart due to its ability to help with factors such reducing the concentration of inflammatory cytokines. (2) Lutein has been found to be very beneficial for our health, however I have a few other things to talk about in this blog so I’ll just do a quick summary of benefits. Studies have found benefits of lutein to include improved respiratory and lung health, improved liver function and health, improvement in bone health and even potential benefits for our skin. (2)
Moving on from lutein the next nutrient in the formula is zeaxanthin. What the heck is zeaxanthin? It is a powerful antioxidant. It actually has many of the same uses as lutein. Now as I stated earlier zeaxanthin was one of the nutrients in the AREDS study, which as I said showed its benefits for macular degeneration. What other benefits are there to zeaxanthin? Well studies have found zeaxanthin can help reduce the risk of cataracts and even help protect our eyes form damage due to UV light. As a powerful antioxidant zeaxanthin can help to protect our eyes form reactive oxygen species. In addition to our eyes zeaxanthin has been found in studies to have benefits for our liver, heart and even our skin! (8)
Lastly Lutein Plus contains DHA. I know what you’re thinking, but Doctor Claire I can’t take DHA it’s from fish and I’m a vegetarian! Well the DHA found in Lutein Plus is from Algae so there’s no worries! Studies have found that DHA can help reduce the rate of diabetic retinopathy. While more research is needed in one study it was found that DHA can help to decrease eye pressure which indicated that it may be helpful in glaucoma. Studies have found that DHA may help with dry eye especially in those with glaucoma. (9)
Overall as you can see Lutein Plus is an amazing eye formula! Our next topic will be glaucoma.
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Blog Featured Photo: Photo by Dat Tae Studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-marigolds-growing-in-pots-at-a-plant-nursery-20154134/
Macular Degeneration part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In my last blog I began the conversation on macular degeneration. Today I’ll be finishing that important topic. Let’s start with the most common risk factors for macular degeneration. One of the largest risk factors for …
Macular Degeneration part 1 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Macular Degeneration is more common than you might think. In fact according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology age related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss in those age 50 and …
Grape Seed for our vision?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
A simple internet search for grape seed will show you how amazing grape seed really is! In fact most people know some of the benefits of Grape Seed. But what they may not know is just how amazing it is for our eyes. Let’s get going, shall we?
Grape Seed extract contains powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants are called oligomeric proanthocyanidins complex’s (OPCs). This is important because so many of the benefits of Grape Seed extract come back to this point. Additionally it is important because there have been studies that have found the antioxidants found in Grape Seed to be much stronger than other antioxidants. In fact in 1 study people who took 300mg of grapeseed extract saw an increase in blood antioxidant activity in only 5 days! Moving on to how this correlates to eye health a study in 2012 found that having a healthy level of antioxidants can protect our eyes from oxidative damage. (1)
Let’s start with a familiar topic, cataracts! Studies have found that Grape Seed extract can help to delay cataract formation by protecting cells from oxidative damage. (2) Another study found that Grape Seed extract can slow the progression of cataract formation. (3) One last study that I’ll mention before moving on found that Grape Seed extract may slow or even prevent cataractogenesis (process of formation of a cataract) or even secondary cataract formation. (4)
Since I’ll be reviewing so many conditions that affect the eyes I’ll only be reviewing these as they relate to Grape Seed extract. One of those I’ll be reviewing in full soon is macular degeneration! Please look out for my blog on macular degeneration soon. According to the Macular Society oxidants in the eye, which may contribute to the development of macular degeneration can be reduced by antioxidants. (5) As I mentioned earlier in this blog Grape Seed extract is an amazingly powerful antioxidant! The next topic, which I’ll be reviewing soon is glaucoma. Now in one study Grape Seed extract was found to protect the retinal from damage in those with glaucoma. (6)
Diabetic retinopathy is a concern that all diabetics face. Now I do want to point out that it is important to make sure that your diabetes is under control to help reduce the damage that the high sugars can cause. For more information please check out my series on diabetes! Now moving on studies have found that Grape Seed extract may protect you from diabetic retinopathy. (7) Studies have also found that Grape Seed can help to protect the retina from injury due to diabetes and elevated blood sugar. (8)
Overall to sum things up studies have found that Grape Seed extract can help protect our eyes especially by reducing oxidative stress in our eyes. (9) Now where can you find Grape Seed in the Invite health line of products? Invite Health has a formula called Grape Seed Extract with 250mg of grape seed per capsule! Grape Seed is also found in the Daily Multi with Grape Seed. Lastly there is Grape Seed extract in all of Invite’s Resveratrol products. For help picking out the best products for your needs feel free to reach out to an Invite nutritionist!
Our next topic will be Macular Degeneration!
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