macular degeneration Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Protect Your Vision With Goji Berries

AHA Publisher — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 08:39:39 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Age-related macular degeneration, or AMD – characterized by deterioration of the light-sensing macula in the eye’s retina – is the leading cause of blindness in Americans over age 65. According to the Bright Focus Foundation for Macular Degeneration Research, AMD currently affects over 11 million people in the United States, a number that is likely to increase with the ongoing “graying” of America. Goji berries (botanically known as Lyceum barbarum) have been used to promote visual health in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where they are revered as “eye brighteners.” Now, a new study from the University of California, Davis, supports this traditional claim – and shows that compounds in these tiny crimson berries promote macular pigment density (MPD). Learn why MPD is such a “big deal” when protecting and preserving vision – and why scientists are so intrigued by the potential of goji berries against macular degeneration. Goji Berries Are “Sunscreen for the Eyes,” Scientists Claim As it turns out, goji berries are extremely rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, a pair of natural plant pigments (or carotenoids). Lutein and zeaxanthin are concentrated in the retina cells, where they provide oxidant defense – meaning that they can protect against damage from harmful free radicals. In addition, lutein and zeaxanthin help to filter and absorb “blue” light emitted from smartphones, laptop screens, and TVs. (Let’s be honest – all too many of us experience substantial daily exposure to this potentially damaging light!) The new study, published last month in Nutrients, involved healthy adults aged 45 to 65. Five times a week, participants received either 28 grams a day of goji berries (about a handful) or a commercial supplement containing 6 ml of luteinand 4 ml of zeaxanthin. After 90 days, the goji berry group displayed significant improvements in macular pigment density and higher levels of beneficial carotenoids in the skin. Study leader Xiang Li, a doctoral candidate in the Nutritional Biology Program at UC Davis, likened goji berries to “sunscreen for the eyes.” “The higher the lutein and zeaxanthin in your retina, the more protection you have,” Li added. The team concluded that healthy middle-aged individuals’ regular intake of goji berries might protect vision. “The next step for our research will be to examine goji berries in patients with early-stage AMD,” said study author Glenn Yiu, an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences. Goji Berries, With Highly Bioavailable Compounds, Outperformed High-Dose Commercial Supplements Prof. Yiu noted that goji berries improved the macular pigment density of healthy participants “beyond” the power of nutritional supplements. And while the goji berry group had increases in lutein and zeaxanthin levels in the macular pigment and skin, the commercial supplement group showed no change in levels. (The scientists pointed out that the carotenoids in goji berries are in a highly bioavailable form, which presumably could account for the superior results of the berries). By the way, this is not the only human study showing benefits from goji berries. A separate study published in Optometry found that seniors who drank goji berry juice for 90 days significantly increased their levels of zeaxanthin and other antioxidants. AMD Can Jeopardize the Ability to Perform Everyday Tasks AMD’s classic symptoms include blurriness of central vision, colors appearing faded or washed out, and distortions in vision, such as straight lines appearing curved. While peripheral vision may be left unaffected, AMD can still impair your ability to read, write, drive, or recognize familiar faces. Being over age 60 raises your risk of AMD, as does smoking. In fact, experts report that smokers have four times the risk of developing AMD as non-smokers! Finally, nutrition, sun exposure, and genetics can play a role. (Important: While there are no early symptoms of AMD, it can be detected during a comprehensive eye exam. Scheduling a regular check-up with your ophthalmologist is a wise move.) Commercial formulations featuring lutein and zeaxanthin – in combination with vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc oxide, and copper oxide – are marketed as AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) vitamins. Your integrative doctor may advise you to try an AREDS supplement to promote healthy vision. Spark Athletic Performance and Sharpen Mental Focus You can enjoy goji berries fresh or dried. The dried berries have an appealing, raisin-like taste, while fresh berries are reminiscent of tart cranberries. You can also access their benefits in the form of juices and teas. In addition, goji berries are available in supplement form. Naturally, check first with your integrative doctor before supplementing. By the way, goji berries promote more than eye health. They are also believed to support restful sleep, promote healthy weight, enhance athletic performance, boost the immune system and elevate mood. In an early trial published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, volunteers drank 120 ml of goji berry juice a day for two weeks. At the study’s end, they reported improved energy and athletic performance, sharper focus, and feelings of contentedness and calm. Goji berries may be tiny – but when it comes to health benefits, they pack an outsize “punch.” And, they just may help you see a brighter future. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com MedicalNewsToday.com MedicalNewsToday.com NIH.gov BrightFocusFoundation.org To read the original article click here.

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Glaucoma and Nutrition: Why What You Eat Matters

AHA Publisher — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:00:15 +0000

Glaucoma Research Foundation via Newswise – There’s no shortage of diet programs — Paleo, Mediterranean, intermittent fasting — all claiming to be the best option for a healthy life. Research has shown that poor lifestyle choices, including unhealthy diets, contribute to many diseases and that simply adhering to good nutrition can even prevent some health issues. Scientists can trace the impact of diet on disease throughout history. For example, studies suggest that diabetes, once virtually unknown among the Maya of Central America, skyrocketed after switching to a Western diet high in sugars. Siberian nomads had almost no heart disease until after the fall of the Soviet Union, when many settled in towns and began eating market foods. Today about half the Yakut living in villages are overweight, and almost a third have hypertension. While following a healthy diet isn’t a magic bullet and can’t prevent glaucoma, there are benefits to eating certain foods and avoiding others. Food for Thought (and Consumption) for People Living with Glaucoma Feast on Fruits and Veggies Fruits and veggies are good sources of vitamins A, C, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds known to protect against oxidative stress associated with damage to the optic nerve and other tissues of the eye in glaucoma. A study conducted with 584 Black women found that those who consumed three or more fruit or fruit juice servings per day were 79 percent less likely to have glaucoma than those who consumed less than one serving. Load Up on Leafy Greens Recommendations to eat leafy greens are well-known as a key for optimum health, but a diet that includes leafy greens may also provide additional benefits to patients with glaucoma. Research shows that people who eat more leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach may have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of developing the disease. At the same time, the study doesn’t prove that leafy greens reduce glaucoma risk; only an association between the two. Eating leafy greens is also linked to lower rates of inflammation, cancer, heart disease, and even macular degeneration, so you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain! Go Nuts Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of vitamin E, which is vital because the vitamin helps keep cells healthy and protects them from free radical damage, which breaks down the protective retinal tissues in the eye. Sunflower seeds (which also help decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts), almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios (these have high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin as well) are all great sources. Get Fishy Here’s the dish: Fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and halibut contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which research suggests may help reduce the risk of developing eye disease later in life. Additionally, eating more omega-3s has been shown to decrease glaucoma-related pressure in the eye. Indulge in Chocolate Good news for chocolate lovers! A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that adults who ate a bar of dark chocolate could see better about two hours later, possibly due to enhanced blood flow caused by antioxidants called flavanols in the chocolate. Okay, it was a slight improvement, but still. Welcome Tea Time According to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, people who drank at least one cup of hot tea daily lowered their risk of developing glaucoma by 74 percent compared to those who did not consume the beverage. More research is needed to understand the links, but it looks like the British have been on to something! Have a Banana Bananas, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and black beans are great sources to help you meet the recommended daily allowance of 300-400 magnesium. Though more research is needed, preliminary studies suggest that dietary magnesium may benefit people with glaucoma by improving blood flow to the eye. It may also help protect retinal ganglion cells, which process visual information in the eye and transmit it to the brain via the optic nerve. On the flip side are foods people living with glaucoma should avoid. Foods that contribute to metabolic syndrome, obesity, blood pressure abnormalities, and diabetes are risk factors for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Therefore, a diet that helps maintain normal blood pressure and blood glucose concentrations helps reduce substantial risk for glaucoma. Studies have also noted that an association may exist between obesity and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular hypertension. There’s no evidence yet indicating that losing excess weight reduces the risk for glaucoma, although significant decreases in IOP have been reported in humans through weight loss. Caloric intake is another factor for glaucoma patients. One study found that healthy caloric restriction can positively affect the eyes, making it more likely to trigger what the researchers refer to as “anti-aging mechanisms,” helping them limit ocular dysfunction. Diets high in carbohydrates have also been correlated with a greater risk of glaucoma, while a lower intake of carbohydrates correlates with lesser risk. Understanding how diet can impact the risk of glaucoma and following healthy dietary guidelines can play an essential role in the lives of people living with glaucoma. To read the original article click here.

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Toxic DNA Buildup in Eyes With Macular Degeneration Can Cause Blindness – Study

AHA Publisher — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 07:00:09 +0000

Jerusalem Post Staff via The Jerusalem Post – Scientists have discovered a buildup of damaging DNA in the eyes of patients with macular degeneration, which in turn could cause blindness. This new research comes from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and was published in the journal Science Advances. Scientists have suggested, according to their research, that common HIV drugs may help stop vision loss. The harmful DNA that is a threat to one’s eyes is referred to as the Alu DNA. According to the researchers, these new findings offer insights into how geographic atrophy progresses over time. “Although we’ve known that geographic atrophy expands over time, we didn’t know how or why,” said Ambati, of UVA’s Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Advanced Vision Science. Macular degeneration affects around 200 million people worldwide. Geographic atrophy is age-related and destroys the light-sensing portion of the eye. Ambati, a top expert in macular degeneration, discovered that this destruction is caused by the buildup of Alu DNA. Ambati concluded that Alu DNA triggers inflammation in the eye, which can be combated with HIV drugs such as nucleoside or NRTIs. Researchers discovered this by testing the drugs on lab mice.“Our findings from human eyes show that these toxic molecules, which activate the inflammasome, are most abundant precisely in the area of greatest disease activity,” Ambati said. To read the original article click here.

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Study: Light Therapy Helps Burn Injuries Heal Faster by Triggering Growth Protein

AHA Publisher — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:00:40 +0000

University at Buffalo via Newswise – Light therapy may accelerate the healing of burns, according to a University at Buffalo-led study. The research, published in Scientific Reports, found that photobiomodulation therapy – a form of low-dose light therapy capable of relieving pain and promoting healing and tissue regeneration – sped up recovery from burns and reduced inflammation in mice by activating endogenous TGF‐beta 1, a protein that controls cell growth and division. The findings may impact therapeutic treatments for burn injuries, which affect more than 6 million people worldwide each year, says lead investigator Praveen Arany, DDS, PhD, assistant professor of oral biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine. “Photobiomodulation therapy has been effectively used in supportive cancer care, age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Arany. “A common feature among these ailments is the central role of inflammation. This work provides evidence for the ability of photobiomodulation-activated TGF-beta 1 in mitigating the inflammation, while promoting tissue regeneration utilizing an elegant, transgenic burn wound model.” The study measured the effect of photobiomodulation on the closure of third-degree burns over a period of nine days. The treatment triggered TGF‐beta 1, which stimulated various cell types involved in healing, including fibroblasts (the main connective tissue cells of the body that play an important role in tissue repair) and macrophages (immune cells that lower inflammation, clean cell debris and fight infection). The researchers also developed a precise burn healing protocol for photobiomodulation treatments to ensure additional thermal injuries are not inadvertently generated by laser use. The effectiveness of photobiomodulation in treating pain and stimulating healing has been documented in hundreds of clinical trials and thousands of academic papers. The therapy was recently recommended as a standard treatment for pain relief from cancer-associated oral mucositis (inflammation and lesions in the mouth) by the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer. To read the original article click here.

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New Connection Discovered Between Gut Microbiome and Eye Health

AHA Publisher — Wed, 05 May 2021 07:00:07 +0000

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) via Newswise – Rockville, Md. – Preliminary research suggests possible application of manipulated gut bacteria may have therapeutic implications in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The early model system is being presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), being hosted virtually this year. Dubbed the “gut-retina axis” by first author Sheldon Rowan, PhD, of the Nutrition and Vision Research team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, the causal relationship between diet, the gut microbiome and eye disease had not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, Rowan has been conducting a series of experiments in mice to uncover the next steps to understand how gut microbiota affects eye health. In these experiments, mice that consumed western high glycemic (HG) diets developed multiple retinal lesions, consistent with the development of AMD-like disease. Lesions were associated with infiltration of retinal microglia/macrophages in the choroid and outer retina. Contrastingly, there were fewer lesions in mice consuming lower glycemic (LG) diets, or in HG-fed mice receiving fecal transplants from LG mice. Further, when mice were given antibiotics known to kill healthy gut bacteria, it led to degeneration of the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium in some mice. A combined analysis of fecal transplant and the antibiotic-based experiments revealed that retinal neuroprotection was associated with increased levels of Akkermansia, a commensal bacterium with known beneficial metabolic functions. HG-fed mice receiving LG fecal microbiota transplants also had improved glycemic control relative to HG-fed mice. Rowan’s studies confirm previously observed roles for commensal gut microbiota in mediating protection from diet-induced AMD. “Importantly, these protective effects could be transferred via fecal microbiota transplantation, indicating that microbiome-based therapies have therapeutic potential for AMD,” he explains. “Neuroprotection was associated with improved glycemic control, suggesting that metabolic reprogramming may be a critical component of the gut-retina axis, possibly via modulation of innate immune system function.” When asked about the potential implications of his research, Rowan says, “From the perspective of basic disease mechanisms, this research is opening up new avenues of investigation into AMD disease formation that might have been considered far-fetched in the past. The gut-retina axis is largely unexplored territory that includes components of the innate and adaptive immune systems. More work needs to be done to identify the precise mechanisms.” To read the original article click here.

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