Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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 …
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 is age, specifically being over 50years old. Having a personal or family history of macular degeneration, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease are all a risk factor. Smoking cigarettes is also a risk factor. Being overweight and eating a diet high in saturated fat also increases your risk of macular degeneration. For more information on the complex world of saturated fats please check out a blog by my colleague Allie Might which is titled Fats – the skinny you need to know.
How does the doctor go about diagnosing you with macular degeneration? One way to monitor your vision if macular degeneration is a concern is the Amsler grid that I referenced in my prior blog. One of the methods an ophthalmologist will use is to dilate your eyes and then use a special lens to look at the inside of your eye. Another method of looking at the retina and macula is called optical coherence tomography (OCT) and this is a machine that scans the retina providing a detailed view of both the retina and macula. Yet another test that your doctor can run is fluorescein angiography which can help to determine abnormal new blood vessel growth. (1)
What are the most common complications that can occur when you have macular degeneration? While macular degeneration rarely cause’s what most people think of as complete blindness it can have a severe impact on certain activities. This is because it can cause a severe loss of our central vision. So what does this mean in real life? Certain activities such as reading, driving and even the ability to recognize a person’s faces are all examples of activities that need fine central vision. (2) As the disease progresses there may be the development of a condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome, which is where an induvial experiences visual hallucinations. A possible complication of dry macular degeneration is develop of wet macular degeneration which cause’s very rapid degeneration of our vision. Those who have macular degeneration are at an increased risk for social isolation and even depression. (3) So what does the world look for those with macular degeneration? Please see the below picture for a view of what it may look like if you have macular degeneration. (4)
How is dry macular degeneration treated conventionally? One method to help with dry macular degeneration is the use of 2 medications one of which is an injection. A large study has also found that certain vitamins and minerals may slow the progression of dry macular degeneration. Wet macular degeneration can be helped with medications called anti-VEGF drugs as well as laser surgery. (1)
I know I said earlier that specific nutrients can help with dry macular degeneration. While these nutrients are helpful with dry macular degeneration there is very little other than medications or laser surgery than can help with wet macular degeneration. That being said even if you have wet macular degeneration it is important to help support our eye health so that our vision can be the best it can be. Now let’s dig into what these nutrients are, shall we?
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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 …
HEPATITIS~ THE TYPES, THE SUPPORT AND CAN IT BE PREVENTED? By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Hepatitis is a disease that we’ve all heard about and it also triggers fear for many when it’s discussed. It is often associated with hypodermic needle drug users, …
Complete Eye Support with Macula Advanced!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
When someone calls and asks about a product for eye health one of the first things I recommend is our Macula Advanced. Personally in my opinion Macula Advanced really hits all the marks. Not only is it an easy to swallow and digest capsule it is also chock full of nutrients for our eyes. I bet your thinking something along the lines of “but Dr. Claire isn’t that formula just for macular degeneration”? Well my answer is nope! It is great for so many of the conditions that affect our eyes. So let’s get into the nitty-gritty of why I like this formula so much, shall we?
Let’s start with the vitamin portion first. Vitamin A, the very first item is a power house when it comes to eye health. What does WebMD have to say about Vitamin A? Well it states that “Vitamin A helps to maintain and can help prevent age related macular degeneration”. Vitamin A has also been found to help slow vision loss in those with macular degeneration. Vitamin A deficiency is also associated with poor night vision. (1)
Vitamin C is another powerful nutrient when it comes to our overall health. But did you know how great it is for our eyes? According to the American optometric Association there is evidence that Vitamin C can reduce the risk of cataracts. There is also evidence that it can slow the progression of macular degeneration. Lastly there is evidence Vitamin C may help with visual acuity. (2) According to newer studies nerve cells in the eye need Vitamin C to work properly. (3) Studies have also found that Vitamin C can lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy by up to 50% after 8 years. (4)
The next item in Macula Advanced is Zinc. Now I bet you are thinking – but wait isn’t that just for our immune system? Nope it’s great for eye health too! Studies have found that zinc can help with vision loss especially in those with macular degeneration. (5) Zinc has also been found to help with slowing down cataract formation especially in those with diabetes. (6) Lastly Vitamin E has been found to help protect the cells in the eyes from free radicles which can cause damage. (2)
In addition to the vitamins that help eye health Macula Advanced contains certain select nutrients that can help with eye health. The first nutrient, one of my favorite is NAC. This has been found to help protect retinal cells from oxidative damage which is important when working with conditions such as macular degeneration. (7) Bilberry, another nutrient has been studied and found to help with protecting our eyes. For example bilberry has been found to help with dry eye. (8) Cassis fruit is an excellent source of anthocyanins which have been found to potentially help with both myopia and glaucoma. (9) According to studies both Lutein and Zeaxanthin are all important nutrients for keeping our eyes protected from such concerns as macular degeneration and cataracts. (1). Lastly Lycopene has been found to help with both cataracts and macular degeneration. (11)
Overall as you can see Macula Advanced is an amazing overall formula for our eye health! Our next topic is going to be something that comes up all the time – Cataracts!
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