Lutein and Zeaxanthin: You Need These For Your Memory – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 537
New scientific evidence shows just how important the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are for your memory and cognitive functions.
Tag: vision
How to Lower Your Risk of a Cataract, Part 2 – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 457
There is a variety of important nutrients that have been studied for their ability to help prevent the development of a cataract. This includes lutein, zeaxanthin, Vitamin C and zinc.
How to Lower Your Risk of Cataract, Part 1 – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 456
cataract
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye and this affects your vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. They are painless, but they really do cause a vision problem. The cataract creates a cloudy area in the lens of your eye, which blocks light from getting to the retina properly and makes it difficult for you to see clearly.†
How does a cataract affect your vision?
At first, you may not notice that you’re developing a cataract. Over time, stronger glasses and brighter lightbulbs might help, but eventually, that’s not going to work. Over time, the cataracts make your vision blurry and hazy. They even affect color. You start to have trouble reading, doing everyday chores and activities, and driving at night.†
Cataracts become common as you get older. In fact, more than half of all Americans currently have cataracts or have had surgery to get rid of them. In time, if not taken care of, a cataract can cause blindness.†
In a healthy eye, light enters through the crystalline lens and passes through to the retina. The lens focuses the light into a sharp image on the retina. The retina relays the images through the optic nerve through the back of the eye right into the brain. If the lens in front of your eye is cloudy from a cataract, it’s like using a camera with a smear of butter in front of it. The image you see will be blurry.†
DHA: THE KEY BRAIN-BOOSTING OMEGA-3 – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 443. Listen Now>>
So what are the symptoms of cataracts? A cataract can cause blurry vision that may look filmy, hazy or even foggy. Glare is also an early sign of a cataract. You might become sensitive to light and have trouble seeing in bright sunlight. Indoor lights might seem too bright or have halos around them. Sometimes you may develop diplopia, which is double vision.†
Common risk factors for cataracts
Diabetes is a risk factor for cataracts. Most diabetics develop sorbitol-type cataracts. Quercetin can help short-circuit that. Aging is the major cause of cataracts. Smoking can contribute to this, as can drinking a lot because alcohol uses up your body’s antioxidants. Eye injuries and exposure to radiation or too much sun can also be risk factors for the development of cataracts.†
Some drugs may even contribute to cataracts. Corticosteroids, for instance, mimic the stress hormones we release from our adrenal glands. Stress hormones affect your blood sugar, electrolytes and more and can also lead to cataracts. There is also some evidence that NSAIDs like Advil and Aleve increase the risk of cataracts.†
Some studies also say that statin drugs may lead to cataracts. This is controversial, as some studies say yes and some say no, but I have to say it. The best thing is educating people. A study from the journal Atherosclerosis in 2016 looked 135,000 people who were treated with statins between 2005 and 2007. There was a slight but continuous trend towards an increased risk of a cataract in people who adhered to their statin therapy. It increased the risk of a cataract by about 20%.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph., begins a discussion on cataracts. He explains what they are and how they develop and also shares several factors that may contribute to your risk of developing a cataract. In Part 2 of this episode, coming soon, Jerry will continue the conversation and detail nutrients that can help to lower your risk of developing cataracts.†
Key Topics:
- Other eye conditions that can cause blurriness
- What causes cataracts?
- The role of the adrenal glands
Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
Cataracts and Nutrition – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 446
Did you know that cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide? Many people rely on surgery to help with this issue, but there are also nutrients that can help support healthy vision throughout the aging process.
Supplements to Target Eye Floaters – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 389
Eye floaters are small particles in the eye that can appear as dots or squiggles in your field of vision. They can be annoying and can impact your overall eye health. The good news is that there are nutrients that can help.
Nutrients to Target Eye Pressure – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 387
eye pressure
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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We often talk about high blood pressure or hypertension, but it’s rare that we address ocular hypertension, also known as eye pressure. I want to talk about eye pressure today in terms of different nutrients that can be supportive for maintaining healthy eye pressure.†
What is eye pressure?
A lot of people experience noticeable pressure in their eyes and this is a problem. This can lead to issues such as glaucoma, which is one of the leading causes of blindness throughout the world.†
When we look at ocular hypertension, we see that an estimated 10% of Americans over 40 years old have an increase in intraocular pressure. This is an alarming amount of people because we can then look at the long-term effects of this. Oftentimes, people who have high blood pressure will also have the risk of having ocular hypertension.†
When we look at the anatomy of the eye itself, we recognize that it is spherical in structure. We have the optic nerve that feeds into the back of the eye. We have the retina, the ganglion cells and all of these things that are required for transmitting electrical signals. Then, we have the pressure that can start to impede upon this. If the nerves that are feeding into the muscles of the eyes, this can start to be affected. If we have this rise in intraocular pressure, then this is certainly a big problem. If this is left alone, it can lead to discomfort or complete visual loss.†
Nutrients that can help
When facing ocular hypertension, we can look at basic nutrients that are going to support the eye itself. We can look at the different carotenoids, Vitamin C and NAC, for example.†
There are also different antioxidants that can help to support pressure within the eye. We can look at coenzyme Q10, for example. We can also look at pycnogenol, which you can find in our Tocotrienol + Pine Bark Extract formulation.†
There’s a study that came out of the Translational Vision Science and Technology Journal that was looking at oral supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids and how this could be beneficial for lowering eye pressure. This is in people who are considered to be normotensive, which means they have normal blood pressure but still have higher intraocular pressure. In this particular study, they gave people who had elevated eye pressure omega-3 supplementation for three months. After the three months, they found a significant reduction in intraocular pressure.†
Antioxidants are incredibly beneficial for this as well, so using something like our Macula HxⓇ Advanced formulation can be a good option. It provides a broad spectrum of carotenoids, NAC and bilberry extract, as well as powerful polyphenols that not only help to support proper eye pressure, but actually help to support the eye’s ability to see in low light environments.†
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses the impacts that ocular hypertension can have on overall eye health. She cites clinical research as she provides recommendations for nutrients that can help with this issue.†
Key Topics:
- Details on glaucoma
- What does eye pressure feel like?
- What does it mean to be normotensive?
Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
