Astaxanthin is an extremely powerful antioxidant that is sometimes overlooked. It protects the body from free radical damage. Ten times more powerful than beta-carotene, astaxanthin is a carotenoid that can cross the blood-brain barrier[1. Tso and Lam 1996]. This means it can reach the retina and macula of the eye.
Seniors need to be especially protective of their eye health. In Age-Related Macular Degeneration, the yellowish-colored macular responsible for central vision begins to break down. This makes driving, reading, cooking and recognizing faces difficult or impossible. Cataracts cause haziness and blurring as the lens becomes obscured. And glaucoma gradually steals peripheral vision due to damage to the optic nerve. A large body of research points Continue reading “Antioxidant Astaxanthin Protects the Eyes from Disease and Damage”
The sun sustains life, but it also can harm our eyes. Unsafe sun exposure causes or may contribute to several eye conditions and diseases. It can also cause eye injuries. Earth’s ozone layer absorbs most of the ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, but chemicals have damaged it. Therefore, we must take extra precautions to prevent cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, ocular melanoma (eye cancer), and eye injuries such as pterygium (Surfer’s Eye), photokeratitis (snow blindness), and flash blindness. The sun is also a driving hazard when low on the horizon.
Several studies have indicated saffron’s power to protect the eye from the effects of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD). This precious yellow & red spice contains the carotenoids crocin and crocetin, antioxidants that appear to protect the retina. Visual acuity has been shown to be improved in Macular Degeneration patients who take a saffron supplement. These supplements may also increase blood flow to the retinal area, improve light sensitivity, and reduce photo-oxidative damage.
Middle-aged people and seniors are far more likely to develop Macular Degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy than those in their youth. It is true that some eye diseases strike the young. These tend to be genetically-based diseases, and they are rare. The incidence of eye diseases in the United States goes up dramatically with age: 
Retinal Vein Occlusion is the blockage of veins that drain blood from the retina in the eye. The eye circulatory system depends on releasing blood back to the heart after it has nourished the retina. When the vein is blocked, hemorrhaging occurs, damaging the retina. It is typically caused by atherosclerosis, a common condition especially in older people that damages the arteries. “Occlusion” means the blockage or closing of a blood vessel.
Rod-Cone Dystrophy is a genetically-based deterioration of vision caused by damage to the photoreceptors in the eye. Rods and cones are the photoreceptor cells in the retina that give us daytime and night time vision. Genes that provide the blueprint for manufacturing proteins crucial to the eye’s rods and cones are damaged. Without enough of these proteins, vision deteriorates and blindness may result.
Lutein absorption can be improved by adding solid-lipid particles to the formula. What does that mean? Lipids are fats and solid-lipids are fats which are solid at room temperature. Researchers have noted that lutein from egg yolks is more readily absorbed than the ester form of lutein. Researchers wanted to know whether combining ester lutein with egg-like phospholipids and fatty acids would improve its absorption rate.
Age-Related Macular Denegation is a significant cause of vision loss that can often be managed and even improved through targeted nutritional support. It affects mostly people over age 50. While the precise cause of ARMD is not clear, oxidative damage is suspected as being a major factor. It strikes the elderly possibly due to poor diet and nutritional intake over a lifetime, less efficient absorption of nutrients and poor circulation as the body ages. The care needed by vision-impaired elderly could become overwhelming. Let’s take a look at some of the newest research in preventing macular degeneration, as well as treatment and support options.
Antioxidants have been studied as a way of preventing eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Oxidative damage (free radical damage) may be a contributing cause of these diseases. People concerned about developing these problems may consider taking both dietary and supplemental 
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables helps ward off a common eye disease, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). A study in Acta Ophthalmologica looked at the relationship between intake of antioxidants (including the antioxidant lutein) and the incidence of macular degeneration. It found that people with low intake of antioxidants were twice as likely to have this eye disease versus controls.