Antioxidants Archives - Page 8 of 11 - Natural Eye Care Blog: News & Research on Vision

Watermelon Helps Fight Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Eye Disease

File this heart healthy fact away for next summer’s barbecue season: watermelon can help fight hypertension.

Florida State University gave nine prehypertensive study participants the amino acid L-citrulline/L-arginine from watermelon extract for six weeks and all of them exhibited improved arterial function and lower aortic blood pressure.

Watermelon is also a source of vitamins A, B6, C, fiber, potassium and the antioxidant lycopene. Antioxidants are vital to eye health and help to fight the free radical oxidation damage that causes eye diseases like macular degeneration.

Study author Arturo Figueroa highlights another condition that could benefit from daily watermelon intake: diabetes. “Individuals with increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness especially those who are older and those with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes would benefit from L-citrulline in either the synthetic or natural (watermelon) form,” he said. “The optimal dose appears to be four to six grams a day.”

Diabetes can lead to the eye condition diabetic retinopathy.

Learn more about nutrients in food that can treat and prevent disease.

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204527.php

Antioxidant Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Wet Macular Deneration (AMD)

A new study shows that omega-3 fatty acids could help with wet macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is expected to increase by 50% in older adults in industrialized countries by 2020. As the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly, it is a condition of serious significance. The macula is the central part of the retina. While it makes up only about 2% of the total retina, the brain devotes half of its visual processing network to information from the macula. It is responsible for central vision. The retina is a thin layer of nerves Continue reading “Antioxidant Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help Wet Macular Deneration (AMD)”

Green Tea Antioxidants Reach the Eye – Study

This report, called “Green Tea Catechins and Their Oxidative Protection in the Rat Eye,” is the first to detail how all the eye tissue take in green tea’s antioxidants, called “catechins.” This research may ultimately show how green tea could help stave off glaucoma and other eye diseases.

Antioxidants are important because they attack free radicals, molecules that create oxidative stress. Significant research points to free radical damage as a potential cause of disease, damage and aging to the Continue reading “Green Tea Antioxidants Reach the Eye – Study”

AMD Inhibited by Lutein, Carotenoids, and Zeaxanthin Antioxidants

New evidence continues to support dietary lutein, carotenoids, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin as a means of inhibiting development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of loss of vision in Western people over age 55.

A study published in 2010, in Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics by the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Utah, found that production of singlet oxygen in the human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid is prevented or reduced by lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, which act as Continue reading “AMD Inhibited by Lutein, Carotenoids, and Zeaxanthin Antioxidants”

CoQ10 Deficiency and Supplementation of this Antioxidant

CoQ10 deficiency and supplementation were explained in an article by Michael S. Pepper and his colleagues at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. The article in the March, 2013 issue of Nutrition Reviews covered both primary and secondary coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency.

In primary CoQ10 deficiency, the body cannot properly synthesize CoQ10 because of genetic mutations. The gene sequences needed to produce the enzymes are incorrect.

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Flavonoids in Deeply Colored Berries Protect People From Disease

blueberries and raspberries antioxidants A fruit cup of mixed berries is a powerful snack: deeply colored fruits are filled with flavonoids and other antioxidants that help protect the body from disease. Antioxidants help prevent free-radical damage, which is believed to be responsible for the onset of eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

The colored flavonoids found in berries are called “anthocyanins”. These water-soluble pigments make plants shades of red, purple and blue. Berries also contain flavonoids called “quercetin” and “apigenin”. In the field or in the wild, these flavonoids help protect the plant from pests and insects.

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Traumatic Brain Injury in Football Players Reversed with Ginko, Fish Oil, and Other Natural Supplements

football traumatic brain injury natural ginko A significant study has found that the deleterious effects of traumatic brain injury in American football players can be mitigated using a natural regimen of weight loss (if needed), fish oil, vitamins, and brain-enhancing supplements including ginkgo biloba. The positive results could help reverse brain damage in contact sport athletes, alcohol and drug addicts, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and people who have had brain damage from concussions.

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Stargardt’s Disease Vitamin A Contraindication

vitamin a contraindicated for Stargardts disease Should you take extra Vitamin A if you have Stargardt’s Disease? Vitamin A supplementation is frequently recommended for certain eye diseases (AMD and Retinitis Pigmentosa, for example). This nutrient is crucial for rebuilding photoreceptors cells and proper retinal functioning. However, a study on mice published in “Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science” indicated that Stargardt’s Disease patients may be damaged by taking Vitamin A.

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Age-Related Macular Degeneration Helped using Astaxanthin

Krill is a source of astaxanthin for the eyes Age-related macular degeneration is a serious and common eye ailment in the aging population, but an Italian study showed that taking just 4mg of astaxanthin per day mitigated the symptoms.

ARMD — Age-Related Macular Degeneration – is the gradual breakdown of the cells of the macula. The macula a small, yellow-colored part of the eye that is near the center of the retina. When this breaks down, central vision is compromised. People with ARMD often have difficulty recognizing faces, reading, writing, and driving. Peripheral vision is unaffected.

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Age-Related Eye Disease Prevention

Older adult may face eye disease with aging As people age, eye diseases and conditions that commonly occur include macular degeneration, cataracts, vitreous tears/retinal tears and detachments, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, dry eyes, and eye floaters.

The question arises as to whether eye disease is inevitable with age. Will all older adults eventually have a “glint” in their eyes after cataracts surgery? More than 50% of people aged 75+ have glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration. Can aging adults do anything to prevent, manage or slow down eye diseases associated with aging?

A large body of research is accumulating that shows the effects of regular eye exercises, good nutrition, and targeted supplementation on preventing and/or managing eye conditions. For instance, peer-reviewed research has shown that the risk of getting macular degeneration can be significantly reduced by taking fish oil and lutein on a daily basis. Vigorous exercise may reduce the incidence of glaucoma. And the effects of antioxidants on preventing cataract and macular degeneration have been the subject of significant research.

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