Tag Archives: macular degeneration

Health Advantages of Following a Low-Fat Diet

Health & Nutrition, , , ,

Choosing a low-fat diet is another way to reduce weight. During the last few decades it has been shown that reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet is one of the best things you can do for your health.

You will significantly increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, and many other conditions when you consume fatty foods. Today, 66% of Americans are overweight or obese and the rate of obesity has more than doubled to 32%, with most of the increase occurred during the past 20 years.

The key to losing weight is: reducing the total calorie intake. And the easiest way to do that is to eat less fat. One gram of fat delivers
9 calories, which is more than twice as many as the same amount of
protein or carbohydrate. Also, our body likes fat. It’s easier to store calories from fat than from other sources.

Danish researchers found that those who reduced the amount of fat in their diets from 39% to 28% of total calories and increased their carbohydrates intake were able to lose an average of 9 pounds
in just 12 weeks. In addition, people who followed lower-fat diets were able to keep the weight off long after the study ended.

Another advantage of reducing fat from your diet is that it can increase your general sense of well-being, according to research. In a study of more than 550 women, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, found that when the women cut their daily fat intake in half – from 40% to 20% of total calories – they felt more vigorous, less anxious, and less depressed than they had when they were eating their former diets.

Heart Health
Fat in your diet often goes to your arteries. There is a direct link between the amount of fat in your diet and your risk for heart disease. This is particularly true of saturated fat. The dangerous type that clog your arteries, can we find mainly in meats, full-fat dairy products, and snack foods. Eating a diet low in saturated fat is the best way to lower this risk, according to research.

There is no need to go on an extreme low fat diet to get the benefits. Even reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet just a little bit can lead to a reduction in cholesterol levels.

Cancer Protection
When you make the switch to a low fat diet, you get protection against many diseases, including cancer.
Researchers at the University of Benin in Nigeria found that when laboratory animals were fed high-fat diets, they began producing enzymes that led to cancerous changes in their colons in just
three weeks.

You can also apply in real live what works in the laboratory. In a study of 450 women, researchers in the department of epidemiology and public health at Yale University School of Medicine found that cutting just
10 grams of saturated fat a day – the equivalent of switching from two glasses of whole milk to the same amount of fat-free milk – could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 20%.

A low-fat diet is protective not only because of what it doesn’t contain but also because of what it does. The result of cutting back on fats is that you generally eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains
and legumes. all of which have been shown to keep us healthier, says Jo Ann Manson, MD, professor of women’s health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Good for the Eyes
Finally, eating a low-fat diet may also protect you against macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
In a survey of more than 2000 people, researchers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison found that those who reported getting the most saturated fat increased the risk of getting macular degeneration by 80%.

Starting your Low-fat Diet
If you want to start reducing the amount of fat in your diet, to know where to begin is not always easy.
Firstly, you have to find out how much fat you’re actually getting each day. Ideally, you should get between 25% and 30% of your total calories from fat.

For example, suppose you normally get 2000 calories per day.
When you’re following a low-fat diet, no more than 600 of your total calories should come from fat. This will adds up to 67 gr of fat per day.

Don’t let lowering your fat intake to 30% discourage you! This is a reasonable amount of fat to go into your diet. According to Lalita Kaul, PhD, a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and professor of nutrition at the Medical School of Howard University
in Washington D.C. Eating low fat means: avoiding fried foods, forgoing rich, fatty restaurant meals for home-cooked fare, and searching for tasty low-fat recipes with which to replace some of your higher-fat favorites. Reach for a Lean Cuisine meal or a Lean Pocket when
you’re looking for at-home convenience.

Keeping track of your daily fat intake by reading food labels is probably the easiest way.
They are based on a 2000-calorie diet. So you can look at foods which are 30% or below.
Look for a spread that says “zero trans fat” on the label, to avoid partially hydrogenated oils.
Also avoid cookies and other baked goods and snack foods that contain trans fats.

Trans fats are now required to be listed on nutrition labels along with total and saturated fat.
If you are dining out or buy foods that don’t have labels, you can buy a nutrition reference guide in a bookstore or supermarket.

As mentioned before, the most dangerous type of fat to watch out for is saturated fat, which is found in animal foods like meat, butter, cheese and eggs, and some plant sources such as coconut oil, palm oil, tropical oils and cocoa butter.The same foods that are high in saturated fat are also high in cholesterol. So when you decrease one, you automatically decrease the other.

The American Heart Association recommends that we should get less than 7% of our total calories from saturated fat,partly by choosing fat free or low-fat milk and leaner cuts of meat, like sirloin or top round.

Enjoy the Good Fats in Moderation
Generally, you should reduce all kind of fats in your diet. Although monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are not bad,you should eat them in moderation, because they contain as many calories as bad fats. They are found in vegetable and seed oils, such as olive,sesame,
and safflower oils, and in nuts and seeds. They have been shown to actually lower cholesterol and may help prevent it from sticking to artery walls.

The fat found in fish, omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to reduce clotting and inflammation in the arteries, which can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
You don’t have to eat a lot of fish to get the benefits. When you’re following a low fat diet, having two fish meals a week will go a long way toward keeping your arteries in the swim.

Discovering 600 Carotenoids in Apricots.

Health & Nutrition, , , , , ,

This tasty fruit originated from China more than 4,000 years ago and spread through the Middle East and Mediterranean in ancient times. Now it’s grown in Europe, Africa, Australia and America too.

This sweet and delicious treat is loaded with a variety of compounds that research has proved to fight infections, blindness and heart disease. Most of the health benefits of apricots are due to their
exceptionally diverse carotenoid content. Carotenoids are the pigments that color many of our favorite fruits and vegetables red, orange and yellow. They give a wide range of health protecting benefits in humans. Researchers have identified more than 600 different carotenoids, under which beta-carotene as one of the most powerful.

Support for the Heart
The unique mixture of healing compounds in apricots makes this fruit a powerful way to protect against heart disease.Apricots contain another carotenoid called hycopene, together with beta-carotene, they are potent in fighting against oxidation of low-density lypoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
This is important because experts consider oxidized LDL as being an important factor in atherosclerosis,
which stiffens and narrow arteries, like the ones taking care of your heart supply.

A Japanese study by which 3,000 men and women were followed for nearly 12 years found that those with high levels of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and hycopene, were less susceptible to die of cardiovascular disease.

Another study by which 73,000 American women were followed for 12 years, found that those which diets containing the highest levels of beta- and alpha-carotene had significantly lower risk of coronary
artery disease.

Powerful cancer protection
Besides tomatoes, in particular processed tomato products, which provide nearly 85% of the lycopene in American diets, apricots are another source of this carotenoid. Lycopene is one of the most potent
antioxidants that experts know about. It could help prevent cancer by protecting the DNA of your cells
from free-radical attacks. The antioxidant properties are also responsible for preventing atherosclerosis
involved in cardiovascular disease.

Researchers looked at the role lycopene in tomatoes plays in the protection of prostate cancer.
A meta-analysis – which synthesizes research results from a number of studies – found that men who ate a lot of cooked tomato products had 19% less risk of prostate cancer than men who seldom ate any tomato products. So what, you may ask, have this to do with apricots?

Researchers explain that the protective effects from tomatoes may come from other compounds in them.
Nevertheless, if you like the taste of apricots, the knowledge that the lycopene inside of them might be
helpful for fighting cancer, makes them even sweeter.

Source of Vitamin A
Eating apricots also provide you with plenty of vitamin A. (The body convert the beta-carotene into
vitamin A ). This nutrient is good for the eyes, and as is generally known, the eyes need all the help
they can get. Light passing through the eyes triggers the release of tissue-damaging free radicals.
Uncontrolled, these destructive oxygen molecules attack and damage the lenses of the eyes, opening up the change of getting cataracts. Free radicals can also attack the blood vessels supplying the central portions of the retinas, called the maculas. If the blood supply gets cut off, the result can be macular degeneration, which is the main cause of vision loss in older adults.

Vitamin A has proved to be a powerful protection against the damaging effects of free-radicals.
A study with more than 50,000 nurses proved that women who consumed the most vitamin A in their diet, reduced their risk of getting cataracts by more than one-third.
Three apricots provide 2,769 IU of vitamin A, which is 55% of the daily value for this vitamin.

High fiber content
When eating apricots with the skin, you can be assured to get a substantial amount of fiber.
High-fiber foods can help you lose weight, control high blood sugar, and lower cholesterol levels.
They are also essential for keeping your digestion healthy.

Three apricots contain 3 grams of fiber, or 12% of the Daily Value. Also, it’s at a minimal calorie cost of just 51 for all three.

To get the most out of apricots, eat them when they are still slightly firm. Apricots contain the most
nutrients when they are at their ripest. Once they get soft, these compounds quickly start to break down.

Watch the color.
Unlike most fruits, apricots can be yellow or orange and still be ripe.Both colors are acceptable when you’re trying to get the most healing benefits.

Store them carefully.
It’s important to keep apricots cool, to prevent them from getting overripe. Unless you’re going to eat them within a day or two, it’s best to store them in the fruit bin in the refrigerator, where you can keep them for about a week. It’s a good idea to store them in a plastic bag to avoid them picking up other smells from food or from the refrigerator itself.

According to Adel Kader, PhD, Professor of post-harvest physiology in the department of plant science at the University of California, you can also reap the benefits from apricots when they are dried or canned. According to the USDA, five fresh apricots contain 3,370 IU of vitamin A, and 1,915 micro grams of beta-carotene. A half cup of canned apricots contains 2,063 IU vitamin A, and 1,232 micro grams of beta-carotene.
And 10 dried apricots halves contain 1,261 IU of vitamin A and 757 micro grams of beta-carotene.

Following a Low-Fat Diet for Good Health

Health & Nutrition, , , , , , , , ,

The subject of my last article was: low-carb diets. Another way to reduce weight is to follow a low-fat diet. It has been proven during the last few decades that reducing the amount of saturated fat in your body is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Fatty foods will significantly increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain types of cancer, and many other conditions. Today,66% of Americans are overweight or obese and the rate of obesity has more than doubled to 32%, with most of the increase did happen during the past
20 years.

Reducing the total calorie intake is the key to losing weight. And to eat less fat is the easiest way to do that. One gram of fat delivers 9 calories, which is more than twice as many as the same amount of protein or carbohydrate. Also, our body likes fat. It’s easier to store calories from fat than from other sources.

In one study, Danish researchers found that those who reduced the amount of fat in their diets from 39% to 28% of total calories and increased their intake of carbohydrates were able to lose an average of 9 pounds in just 12 weeks. In addition, people who stuck to lower-fat diets were able to keep the weight off long after the study ended.

According to research, another advantage of reducing fat from your diet is that it can increase your general sense of well-being. In a study of more than 550 women, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, found that when the women cut their daily fat intake in half from 40% to 20% of total calories – they felt more vigorous, less anxious, and less depressed than they had when they were eating their former diets.

Heart Health
Fat in your diet often goes to your arteries. There is a direct link between the amount of fat in your diet and your risk for heart disease. This is particularly true of saturated fat. The dangerous type that can clog your arteries and we find mainly in meats, full-fat dairy products,, and snack foods. Research has shown that eating a diet low in saturated fat is the best way to lower this risk.

You don’t have to go on an extremely low fat diet to get the benefits. Even reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet just a little bit can lead to a reduction in cholesterol levels.

Cancer Protection
Making the switch to a low-fat diet offers great protection against many diseases, including cancer. Researchers at the University of Benin in Nigeria found that when laboratory animals were fed high-fat diets, they began producing enzymes that led to cancerous changes in their colons in just three weeks.

What works in the laboratory can also be applied in real life.In a study of 450 women, researchers in the department of epidemiology and public health at Yale University School of Medicine found that cutting just 10 grams off saturated fat a day – the equivalent of switching from two glasses of whole milk to the same amount of fat-free milk – could reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 20%.

A low-fat diet is protective not only because of what it doesn’t contain but also because of what it does. When you cut back on fats, you generally eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. all of which have been shown to keep us healthier, says JoAnn Manson, MD, professor of women’s health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Good for the Eyes
To close it of, eating a low-fat diet may also protect you against macular degeneration. Which is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. In a survey of more than 2000 people, researchers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison found that those who reported getting the most saturated fat had 80% higher risk of getting macular degeneration than those getting the least.

Starting your Low-fat Diet
If you want to start reducing the amount of fat in your diet, it’s not always easy to know where to begin. Firstly, you have to find out how much fat you’re actually getting each day. Ideally, you should get between 25% and 30% of your total calories from fat.

For example, suppose you normally get 2000 calories per day. When you’re following a low-fat diet, no more than 600 of your total calories should come from fat. This will adds up to 67 grams of fat per day.

Don’t let lowering your fat intake to 30% discourage you! This is a reasonable amount of fat to go into your diet. According to Lalita Kaul, PhD, a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and professor of nutrition at the Medical School of Howard University in Washington D.C. Eating low fat means: avoiding fried foods, forgoing rich, fatty restaurant meals for home-cooked fare, and searching for tasty low-fat recipes with which to replace
some of your higher-fat favorites. Reach for a Lean Cuisine meal or a Lean Pocket when you’re looking for at-home convenience.

Probably the easiest way to keep track of your daily fat intake is reading food labels.They are based on a 2000-calorie diet. So you can look at foods which are 30% or below. To avoid partially hydrogenated oils, look for a spread that says “zero trans fat” on the label. And avoid cookies and other baked goods and snack foods that contain trans fats.Trans fats are now required to be listed on nutrition labels along with total and saturated fat.If you are dining out or buy foods that don’t have labels, you can buy a nutrition reference guide in a bookstore or supermarket.

As mentioned before, the most dangerous type of fat to watch out for is saturated fat, which is found in animal foods like meat, butter, cheese and eggs, and some plant sources such as coconut oil, palm oil, tropical oils and cocoa butter.The same foods that are high in saturated fat are also high in cholesterol. So when you decrease one, you automatically decrease the other.

The American Heart Association recommends that we should get less than 7% of our total calories from saturated fat,partly by choosing fat free or low-fat milk and leaner cuts of meat, like sirloin or top round.

Enjoy the Good Fats in Moderation
Generally, you should reduce all kind of fats in your diet. Although monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are not bad,you should eat them in moderation, because they contain as many calories as bad fats. They are found in vegetable and seed oils, such as olive,sesame, and safflower oils, and in nuts and seeds. They have been shown to actually lower cholesterol and may help prevent it from sticking to artery walls.

The fat found in fish, omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to reduce clotting and inflammation in the arteries, which can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. You don’t have to eat a lot of fish to get the benefits.
When you’re following a low fat diet, having two fish meals a week will go a long way toward keeping your arteries in the swim.

The Healing Power of Vegetarian Diets

Health & Nutrition, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the 1960’s chefs started to experiment with cooking without meat.
But the meals were often tasteless. But now-a-days after experiencing
for more than a quarter of a century, cooks are combining fruits, vegetables
grains, and legumes in exciting new ways. The tastes are so good that even
large restaurants are now offering meatless meals.

As a result, more than 30 million Americans, including one in three teens,
have tried vegetarian meals, according to the American Dietetic Association.
They like the health benefits and how good the food tastes.
Vegetarian diets have changed, but one thing stayed the same: a plant based diet ,
which is low in saturated fat, high in fiber,vitamins, antioxidants, and a powerful
array of protective chemicals. This is the ultimate prescription for a longer and
healthier life, according to Virginia Messina, MPH, R.D. a dietitian in Port Townsend,
Washington, and coauthor of The Vegetarian Way.

Research results have showed that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer, heart
disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes and obesity than people who eat meat.
According to British researchers, vegetarians have a 20% lower risk of fatal heart
disease and a 40% lower risk of cancer.

Other studies found more positive facts. Fifty years ago a large study of 27,530
Seventh-Day Adventists, whose religion advocates a vegetarian diet, provided the
first scientific link between vegetarian diets and better health.
Researchers were amazed to discover that among the vegetarian Adventists,
death rate from cancer were 50 to 70% lower than among other Americans.
Since then, study after study has confirmed the benefits of vegetarian eating.

In China, where people eat little or no meat, diseases such as heart disease,
breast cancer and diabetes, are far less common than in the United States.

Naturally lean
Something that makes vegetarian meals so healthy is that they don’t have all the
saturated fat and cholesterol that comes from meat. In fact, while most Americans
get about 36% of their total calories from fat, vegetarians get less, usually
between 30% and 34%. And most of the fat they get is the healthier polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated type – and not the dangerous saturated fat that comes from
animal foods.

In one study, researchers put 500 people on a vegetarian diet. After twelve days,
cholesterol levels had dropped an average of 11%.

Besides the fact that vegetarian meals don’t contain saturated fat that makes
vegetarian meals so healthy, they also contain the “good” fats.
According to studies, both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which are
found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, and many other plant foods, can lower
the level of cholesterol when they’re used to replace saturated fat in the diet.
And the omega-3 fatty acids found in some plant foods, such as walnuts and
flaxeed, can further protect against heart disease by helping to keep artery walls
flexible and supporting the electrical “system” within the heart that regulates
a healthy heartbeat.

The Power of Plants
Doctors in the US have been pleading with Americans for years to eat more fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, the same foods that vegetarians eat in
abundance. Most plant foods are loaded with antioxidants, like beta-carotene and
vitamin C and E. They are essential to protect you against diseases.
Also, plant foods contain an abundance of phytonutrients, which are natural plant
compounds that have been shown to lower the risk of cataracts, heart disease,
and many other serious problems.

In another study researchers found that people who got the most carotenoids,
the plant pigment that are found in dark green and deep orange, yellow, and red
fruits and vegetables, had half the risk of developing macular degeneration
(the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults) as people getting less.

Vegetarian diets cut the risk of breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate cancer in a
number of studies. The magic ingredients include a number of cancer-fighting
phytochemicals. The naturally lower levels of saturated fat in most vegetarian diets
(except those that rely heavily on cheese) avoid a problem which is connected
with meat-rich diets: High-saturated fat diets seem to promote the production of
a form of estrogen called estradiol, which is linked to breast cancer.
In a study it showed that women who ate the most animal fats had a one-third
higher risk of breast cancer than those who ate the least.

Another study found that vegetarians have higher levels of “natural killer cells” –
special white blood cells that attack cancer cells – in their bloodstreams.

But even if you took all the nutrients out of plant foods, the vegetarian diet
would still have an edge, because of all the dietary fiber it contains.
The average American gets only 12 to 15 grams of fiber per day,
while vegetarians are getting as much as three times that amount.

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of getting enough dietary
fiber. because it isn’t absorbed by the body, fiber passes through the
digestive tract, adding bulk to stools and helping them to move more quickly.
This does more than preventing constipation. The more quickly stools
and any harmful substances they contain move through the colon,
the less likely they are to do cellular damage that could lead to cancer.

Also, one type of fiber called soluble fiber, forms a gel in the intestine that
helps to prevent fat and cholesterol from passing through the intestinal wall
and into the bloodstream. In a study of more than 43,000 men, for example,
researchers found that those who added just 10 grams of fiber a day to their
diets – about 25% of the amount vegetarians get each day – decreased their
risk of heart disease by almost 30%.

Vegetarian diets also guard against other health issues, like kidney stones,
gallstones, and asthma. Because high-protein diets with much meat prompt
your body to excrete more calcium, oxalate, and uric acid – which are the
main building blocks of kidney stones. Diets with a lot of meat increase
the change of getting gallstones in women and could threaten bone density
by prompting the excretion of calcium.

In a Swedish study of 24 women and men, vegetable-based meals cut
the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Balance is the Key
A vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs, including protein.
This is even true for strict vegetarians, who may avoid eggs, milk and other
animal foods all together. The proteins in meat are complete, that means they
contain all the amino acids your body needs.
The proteins in legumes and grains, however, may be low in one or more of the
amino acids, but because legumes and grains contain some amino acids, eating
a variety of these foods throughout the day will provide the proper balance.

However, vegetarians have the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, which the body
needs to make red blood cells. It’s only found in animal foods.
People who don’t get enough vitamin B12 feel weak and tired.
You can get plenty of vitamin B12 by eating foods which are fortified with this
nutrient, such as fortified cereals, or/and you can take vitamin B12 supplements.

Why don’t you try Vegan Cooking? It’s one of the best things you can do for your health!
Try it here!

Antioxidants in Green Leafy Vegetables

Health & Nutrition, , ,

Antioxidants you find in the red of tomatoes and the yellow plant pigments in carrots  are called carotenoids. You also find them in green leafy vegetables They belong to the family of phytonutrients. See also my article: Phytonutrients, compounds from the garden.
These carotenoids are powerful antioxidants to fight against heart disease and certain forms of cancer.

Research has shown promising results from a number of carotenoids, particularly lycopene
(also found in tomatoes), lutein (found in vegetables such as spinach and kale), and
zeaxanthin ( found in dark green leafy vegetables). All three play a powerful role as antioxidants  in cancer prevention.

Researchers in the Tufts University Carotenoids Health Laboratory say: “Skipping fruits &
vegetables is part of the classic “profile” of people who develop cancers of the head and
neck, but that increasing your intake of these antioxidants rich products may cut your risk for recurrence of these cancers.

In one study, researchers found that people in northern Italy who ate seven or more
servings  of raw tomatoes every week  had a 60% lower change of developing colon, rectal,
and stomach cancer than those who only ate two servings or less.

German researchers have found that cooked tomato products containing some oil –
such as spaghetti sauce – boost lycopene absorption dramatically. They believe that
heating  and crushing releases more lycopene, and that the body  needs substances in
oil to  help better absorption.

Harvard researchers, looking at green leafy vegetables, especially spinach, had quite
an eye-opener. They found that people eating the most lutein and zeaxanthin – which
are two carotenoids , powerful antioxidants found in these vegetables – had a 43% lower risk of macular degeneration  than those eating the least.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in people  over 50.
Lutein and zeaxanthin concentrate in your retinas and protect them by absorbing
harmful blue-wavelength light found in sunshine.

Other members of the Phytonutrients are: flavonoids, indoles,  lignans, monoterpenes, saponins, organosulfur – and phenolic compounds, which are all powerful antioxidants,
I will discuss in future articles.  If you like to know more about plant-based nutrition,
I refer to : Nutrition studies.org

Problems Concerning the Eyes

Health & Nutrition, , , , , ,

Cataract surgery is most common for people over the age
of sixty In the US, eye surgeons perform 1.3 million cataract
operations every year for a total cost of US $3.5 billion.

The lens of the eye collects and focus light on the retina.
It is important for the lens to stay clear throughout our lifetime,
In order to function properly. As we age, various components
of the lens may get damaged, leading to cataracts.

Medical research has proven that supply of sufficient anti-
oxidants at an early age can prevent cataract formation.
Antioxidants are needed to combat against free radicals,
due to ultraviolet sunlight.

In particular the fluid around the lens of the eye has to be
protected by antioxidants against oxidative damage.
The most important antioxidant is vitamin C, which is found
in high concentration around the lens, as well as vitamin E,
alpha-lipoic acid and beta-carotine.

A study showed that consuming vitamins in supplementation
protects the eye and decrease the risk of developing
cataracts by 50%. There is sufficient evidence that taking
antioxidants is an inexpensive way to decrease cataract
formation.

Another problem concerning the eye is macular degeneration.
It is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of
sixty.

This is the decay of an important part of the retina called
macula. This is the area, which deals with central vision,
where the greatest concentration of photoreceptors are located.

We recoqnize wet and dry forms. Ninety percent of the cases
represent the dry form, in which central vision gradually
reduces and may proceed to the wet form for the remaining
ten percent.

There is currently no treatment available for the dry form.
The wet form can be treated via laser photocoagulation,
by which new vessel formation can be slowed down, which
causes swelling and bleeding into the retina.
Blindness usually follows rather quickly.

Theories suggest that light entering the eye and focused on
the macula of the retina causes significant free-radical
production in the outer aspect of the photoreceptors.

If there are no sufficient antioxidants available to the
photoreceptors, lipofuscin formation, a toxic substance,
within the retinal pigment epithelium, causes more oxidation
damage to the retina and research believe it is actually
the cause of damage and destruction of these sensitive
photoreceptors.

Lipofuscin accumulate in the pigment epithelium cells and
are eventually excreted in the form of drusen, which is one
of the first indications of macular degeneration development.

The development of drusen separates the photoreceptors
of the eye from its blood supply and causes an area of
blindness.

High-energy ultraviolet light and visible blue light are in
particular responsible for the production of free radicals
in the retina of the eye.

Our natural antioxidant defence system that protects us from
this free radical damage, declines when we get older.
Macular degeneration is characterised by low levels of zinc,
selinium, vitamin C, vitamin E and carotenoid.

High levels of carotenoids, called lutein and zeaxanthine,
absorb the blue light portion of visible light, that can damage
the lens and he retina of the eye. They are strong antioxidants
and are found in corn and leafy green vegetables.

CoQ10 can also play a part in reducing the oxidative damage
caused by free radicals.

Glutathione, which is a very potent antioxidant found within
every cell of our body, is in particular critical within the lens of
our eye and the pigment and the photoreceptor cells of the
retina. The level of glutathione declines when we get older.

Glutathione peroxidase is one of the natural antioxidant
defencesystems that our body creates. The nutrients needed
for the body to make its own defense are selinium, vitamin B6,
N-acetyl-L-cysteine and niacin.

Vitamin C and alpha-lipoic acid have the ability to regenerate
glutathione. Zinc is important for the function of our catalase
antioxidant defense system and selinium is necessary for the
glutathione peroidase system and both are important to
combat free radicals produced in the eye.

As we get older, the lens of our eyes allows more ultraviolet
light through and no longer protects the retina from damage
of ultraviolet light. A good quality pair of sunglasses that
block all UV light are important.

Without any doubt, the underlying cause of cataracts and
macular degeneration is oxidative stress.
Consequently, we can’t be too agressive in our
supplementation plan.