Category: Antioxidants

Carotenoids Absorbed Better When Taken with Fat

salad vegetables high in carotenoidsA new study demonstrated that adding oil or fats to your salads and vegetables increases the body’s ability to absorb vision-boosting lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and other carotenoids. Carotenoids are a family of nutrients that absorb blue light. They are naturally colored in the yellows and reds on the light spectrum.

The study in the Journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research showed that monounsaturated fats allowed for the best absorption of carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants that are associated with reduced risk of major diseases afflicting Westerners including CV – heart disease and cardiovascular disease, cancer and macular degeneration. Another study showed that supplementing with a carotenoid in the family of lutein called zeaxanthin improved vision in elderly adults with macular degeneration.

Many natural foods are rich in carotenoids. Here are some recipe ideas:

Continue reading “Carotenoids Absorbed Better When Taken with Fat”

DHA Shown To Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Fish contain DHA an Omega 3 fatty acidA breakthrough laboratory study has found that DHA, an Omega 3 fatty acid, prevented Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD).

A Canadian research team at the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry fed DHA to mice and measured the levels of a toxin called lipofuscin. Lipofuscin builds up in the eye with age, causing ARMD. Mice who ate the DHA for at least 6 months had significantly lower levels of the toxin.

Age-related macular degeneration affects around nine million adults aged 40+ in the USA. ARMD can cause serious loss of vision. It affects the central part of vision, not peripheral vision. Deterioration of the cells in the macula at the eye’s center makes reading, writing, and driving difficult.

Continue reading “DHA Shown To Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration”

ReVision Formula Uses Classic Chinese Medicine for Liver to Improve Eyes

ReVision formula addresses chi for the eye using classic Chinese medicineWhat is ReVision formula, and how can its classic Chinese medicinal ingredients help improve eye health and conditions such as eye floaters? ReVision formula is a liquid taken orally several times per day with water. This tincture is based on Rambling Powder, also known as Xiao Yao San.

ReVision Formula is designed to support healthy vision. Some of the conditions it may address include macular degeneration, eye floaters, and glaucoma. The idea is that ReVision Formula helps improve blood circulation to the eye. From the point of view of Chinese medicine, it helps eliminate stagnation of the body’s energy (chi) to the eyes.

Continue reading “ReVision Formula Uses Classic Chinese Medicine for Liver to Improve Eyes”

Lutein – More Than Meets the Eye

marigold petals are an excellent natural source of luteinThe macular pigment of the eye is formed by a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein is more than just a filter of blue light and an antioxidant. Consider these points about lutein:

Research is showing that certain eye conditions that are believed to be caused by, Continue reading “Lutein – More Than Meets the Eye”

Grapes May Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration

grapes have anti-oxidant effects on the eyesA new study in the journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine compared the effects of lutein to grapes on the eyes. Grapes won out, providing more protection against oxidative damage to the retina than the nutrient lutein.

Mice were broken into two groups: on had a diet high in grapes, and the other received lutein, a plant chemical that recommended for eye health. The mice who ate grapes were less likely to go blind.

Grapes are rich in anti-oxidants, which fights free radical damage.

The study’s head author, Dr Silvia Finnemann from Fordham University, described the results as “remarkable” and wrote, “A lifelong diet enriched in natural antioxidants, such as those in grapes, appears to be directly beneficial for RPE (retinal pigment epithelium cells) and retinal health and function.”

Some diseases that result in damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer in the eye include Stargardt’s disease and age-related macular degeneration.

This study does not diminish lutein as an eye care supplement. A solid body of scientific research shows lutein’s benefits. Lutein also has antioxidant properties; grapes had  a stronger effect in mice in this single study. Lutein is found in the macula of healthy eyes, and research shows that taking 6 mg of lutein each day reduces the risk of macular degeneration by 48%. Learn more about lutein for eye care.

 

 

Drink Green Tea to Reduce Body Fat

Weight loss scaleDid you over-indulge in too many high-calorie foods over the holidays? Put on a few extra pounds? Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, and a few extra pounds add up to health risks. However, drinking green tea may help fight body fat and also lower cholesterol levels.

Green tea is lower in caffeine than coffee, so it makes a great coffee substitute. A high intake of caffeine can cause nervousness, dependence, and sleep problems.

A recent, small study on green tea in Japan showed that taking green tea extract was associated with losing body fat and weight. The more green tea extract the study participants took, the bigger the effect. The subjects also had lower LDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure (to counteract hypertension). Continue reading “Drink Green Tea to Reduce Body Fat”

Artichokes, Pecans, and Blueberries All Protect Against Macular Degeneration

artichoke
Image via USDA

Can artichokes, blueberries and pecans save your sight?

A study out of Brigham Young University and Weill Medical College of Cornell University showed that the antioxidants found in these common foods can impede the onset of age-related blindness.  Antioxidants disrupt the link between two processes within the retina that cause macular degeneration.

Learn more about this study, as published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry and other studies related to macular degeneration at our website.

Pecans

Research published in the Journal of Nutrition shows that pecans are a good source of antioxidants.  Better yet, the study shows that the human body is capable of absorbing the antioxidizing compounds by eating the nut itself.

Source: www.lef.org

Learn more about how particular foods can help you beat eye disease.

Cataracts Linked to Nutrition Deficiencies Per US Government Scientists

Cataracts - Nutritional Deficiencies
Image via USDA

US government scientists realize the important role that nutrition plays in the health of the eyes.

Cataracts are caused by an accumulation of free radicals that cloud the lens of the eye through a process called oxidation.  Antioxidants, these researchers agree, “are compounds in foods that help maintain healthy cells and tissues in the eye and other organs.”  Prime sources of antioxidants include: leafy greens, eggs, blueberries, and bilberries.

In a study of almost 500 middle aged and older women, it was discovered that those who consumed more riboflavin, folate, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamins C and E were less likely to suffer from cataract symptoms than did those who consumes the least amounts of these nutrients.

Another interesting fact that may affect your daily supplement regimen?  Women who took vitamin C supplements regularly over the previous decade were 64% less likely to have

Moreover, those who used vitamin C supplements for 10 or more years were 64 percent less likely to have opacity within the eyes than counterparts who did not take vitamin C.

Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service

Learn more about how to prevent cataracts with our self-help recommendations at our website.

Antioxidants & L-Arginine Help Pregnant Mothers with Pre-Eclampsia

 

Pregnant woman
image via www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov

Antioxidants have been found to successfully treat yet another medical condition: pre-eclampsia, a condition experienced by 5% of pregnant women that is marked by abnormally high blood pressure.

 

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, taking a dietary supplement containing an amino acid and antioxidant vitamins significantly reduced pregnant women’s chances of developing pre-eclampsia.

A trial involving 228 women at high risk of pre-eclampsia were given either a food bar containing the amino acid L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins or a bar containing only vitamins or a placebo food bar.  Results showed that only 12.7% of women taking the amino acid-antioxidant supplements developed pre-eclampsia.  This was compared to 22.5% who received antioxidants and 30.2% who received the placebo.

Researchers are now wondering how L-arginine and antioxidants work together and whether there are any contraindications to this natural therapy.

Source: Science Daily

Blueberries Help Cut Atherosclerosis and Macular Degeneration Risk

April, 2011 edition of Agricultural Research from the USDA is all about the powerful blueberry.

In one article, “Blueberries and Your Health: Scientists Study Nutrition Secrets of Popular Fruit,” researcher Xianli Wu describes his work with blueberries and their ability to reduce atherosclerosis.

“It’s already known that oxidative stress can increase atherosclerosis risk,” says Wu, “so the beneficial interactions of blueberries with these antioxidant enzymes are of interest to us. Since our center specializes in children’s nutrition research, we also want to determine whether blueberry-based interventions early in life could prevent atherosclerosis from developing in later years. If Mom eats blueberries during her pregnancy and feeds blueberries to her child, would that have a protective effect for the child? We don’t know, but that’s something we’d like to determine.”

Other studies have shown that diets rich in antioxidants – especially those found in blueberries – can be instrumental in helping people avoid macular degeneration.