Natural Eye Care Blog: News & Research on Vision

New DNA Test Available For Blinding and Fatal Batten’s Disease

The CEO of a Texas based biotech company, Craig Benson, was a father who thought that his five year old daughter needed new glasses. It turned out that she had the rare, and eventually fatal Batten’s disease. Batten’s disease is a disorder of the nervous system that leads to blindness, seizures, mental and physical impairment, and, eventually, premature death in the teens or early 20s.

Craig Benson has made it his mission to determine a way to develop DNA testing that will help potential parents determine if they are carriers of such debilitating diseases as Batten’s disease, muscular dystrophy, and other immune deficiency related conditions. For less than $400, parents can be checked to see if they are carriers of any diseases and whether the combination of their DNA and that of their partner make it likely that offspring would be born with any of the hundreds of conditions that can be picked up via this test. Source: ABC NEWS.

Batten’s disease affects an estimated 2 to 4 of every 100,000 U.S. born babies. It can be diagnosed by a neurologist with a number of tests including electrical studies of the eyes. Source: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/batten/detail_batten.htm

Fatty Acids Reduce PMS and Ward Off Eye Disease

Fatty Acids & Diabetic retinopathy — Image via womenshealth.gov

Here’s another reason to include fatty acids in your diet: they may help relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

A study published in the journal Reproductive Health showed that, compared to placebo, women who took one to two grams of fatty acids per day reported an alleviation of PMS symptoms. Researchers note that taking a daily dose of fatty acids did not increase cholesterol levels.

Source: nutraceuticalsworld.com

Fatty acids, in the form of omega-3s and omega 6-s have been shown to help prevent and improve conditions such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Ginkgo & PMS

Another study shows that supplementing with Gingko Biloba can significantly reduce physical and psychological symptoms due to PMS. Overall severity of symptoms in the Gingko groups was 34.80% before the treatment and reduced to 11.11% after the treatment.

Ozgoli G, Selselei E. Mojab F. Majd H. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of Gingko Biloba L., in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Aug:15(8):845-51

Exercise: Prevent Diabetes By Walking 10,000 Steps Per Day

A new study published in the British Medical Journal makes the case for walking away from diabetes.

The researchers studied nearly 600 adults over 5 years and found that those who took 10,000 steps per day (the equivalent of 5 miles) had much better insulin sensitivity than those who walked less.

Diabetes risk decreases when one’s insulin sensitivity increases.

Source: LA Times article

Learn more about the related condition, diabetic retinopathy – a potentially blinding disease that can be prevented and treated with proper nutrition and exercise.

Low Muscle Mass = Increased Risk

New study shows low skeletal muscle mass and strength often found in those who are older or obese may put individuals at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and that a good diet may not be enough to prevent type 2 diabetes.

These associations were stronger in people age 60 and under, in whom sarcopenia (the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength associated with aging) was associated with high levels of blood sugar in both obese and thin people, and with diabetes in obese individuals.

The findings are published in the journal Plos One.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about nutrition and diabetes.

Excess Iron Linked to Alzheimers / Macular Degeneration

Alzheimer’s & Excess Iron

While we often think of iron deficiency as a problem that causes anemia, researchers have found that excessive iron may increase one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers publishing in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease state that some studies have found that accumulation of metals in the body, including copper, zinc, and iron, have been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, this study focuses upon Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease patients who demonstrated high levels of iron in their brains. Source: https://www.foodconsumer.org

Iron and Macular Degeneration

Excessive iron in the body or hemochromatosis may lead to the wet form of macular degeneration. Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia suspect that too much iron, known to have cumulative negative effects throughout body, can also speed the aging in the eyes. If there is a link between iron levels and macular degeneration, people may be able to ward off the eye disease by donating blood a couple times annually to reduce iron levels the amount if iron in the body.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org

High Fat and Cholesterol Diets Linked to Breast Cancer

The fat and cholesterol that is so common in the Western diet may make people more susceptible to breast cancer.

The study, published in the American Journal of Pathology, indicates mice fed diets high in fat and cholesterol developed twice as many tumors as mice that ate limited amounts of fat and cholesterol. The mice who ate “junk food” grew tumors that were 50% larger than those in their healthier friends.

One intriguing aspect of the study: the “Western diet” mice had lower blood cholesterol levels. Researchers state that this shows that cancer actually uses cholesterol to fuel its growth. Source: https://www.foodconsumer.org/

Our Vision Diet will not only help your eyes, but will improve your overall health and can help prevent a host of other diseases.

Reduce Weight and Relieve Computer Eye Strain By Getting Up From Your Chair Often

There is new research that suggests that long periods of sitting can be linked to heart problems and poor health, even in people who exercise regularly. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, found that those who spend a lot of time in a chair were more likely to carry weight around their waists, have lower levels of “good cholesterol,” and experience more inflammation.

The researchers did find, however, that getting up frequently – even for very short periods of just a minute at a time – was enough to slim waistlines and lower C-reactive protein levels, which are markers of inflammation.

According to this story’s source, WebMD, “The study suggests even small changes could help, like standing up to take phone calls, walking to see a colleague rather than phoning or emailing, and centralizing trash cans and printers so you have to walk to them.”

Source: https://www.webmd.com

The added benefit of taking frequent breaks from your chair? You give your eyes a rest as well. Computer eye strain is effecting more and people – causing discomfort, cutting down on productivity, and potentially leading to eye disease.

Nearsightedness Linked to Early Life Experiences

Myopia (also known as nearsightedness) is becoming increasingly common. In just two decades the proportion of Americans who are nearsighted has increased by 11% to include about 36% of the population.

A new study published in Ophthalmology reveals a possible connection between early life and the development of myopia. Several factors were found to contribute to the development of nearsightedness:

the age of the mother at birth (rates of myopia in children increase when moms are over 35);
birth weight (tinier babies are more likely to eventually develop myopia); and
maternal smoking in early pregnancy (children of moms who smoked are twice as likely to develop severe myopia).

Source:medscape.com

The study authors also note that kids who do lots of close work (including reading) at a young age are much more likely to become nearsighted.

The good news is that a condition like myopia is reversible. Learn more at our website.

Macular Degeneration Rates Decreasing

A new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology shows that rates of macular degeneration have decreased, affecting only 6.5% of the population according to a 2005-2008 survey. This figure is a decrease from the 9.4% prevalence rate that was reported in a similar 1988-1994 study. Researchers state that the change may be in part attributable to shifts in survey methodologies, but they do assert that there are fewer cases of macular degeneration now than there were 20 years ago. Source: https://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/129/1/75

Another interesting fact from this study: non-Hispanic blacks are less likely to develop macular degeneration than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. This finding is very different from the disease rates associated with glaucoma, a disease that is 6-8 times more likely to impact blacks than whites.

Visit our website to learn how to prevent and control macular degeneration naturally.

High Stress Can Lead to Glaucoma: Tips to Reduce Stress

Most individuals with undiagnosed glaucoma do not notice any symptoms the condition is somewhat advanced. Technically, glaucoma is due to damage to the optic nerve, sometimes as a result of increased pressure of the aqueous humor – the clear, watery fluid that circulates in the chamber of the eye between the cornea and the lens.

Stress

Stress has been determined to be a major cause of chronic glaucoma. Stress causes us to breathe shallowly, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, causing venous backflow in the head. This process effects the eyes’ ability to revolve ocular fluids, which in turn increases eye pressure. Although we do not know exactly how the optic nerve is damaged in glaucoma, one common factor in all cases of glaucoma is a lack of blood flow to the retina and optic nerve. This lack of blood flow results in retinal nerve cell death, enlargement of the optic cup, and an eventual loss of vision.

Here are a few suggestions for those who are trying to reduce stress in their lives:

Exercise regularly
Take walks in nature
Practice yoga or tai chi
Engage in prayer or meditation daily

Nutrition

Sufferers of glaucoma are often deficient in some or many of the important nutrients including essential fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, taurine, alpha lipoic acid, antioxidants, bioflavonoids, zinc, selenium, vitamin B-complex.

Yoga

Regular exercise is key to managing and preventing eye disease. Many with glaucoma have concerns about their intraocular pressure (eye pressure) and allowing their heads to be below their hearts, as is common in yoga’s common inversion poses. Those you might need to avoid include downward facing dog, head and shoulder stands, and any poses that require you to touch your toes while in a standing position.

Livestrong.com offers this tip for practicing a modified forward bend:

You can still enjoy the benefits of wide-legged forward bend by modifying how you practice it. Place a chair against a wall with the seat facing toward you. Hold your feet wide apart and keep them parallel. Lean slightly forward to keep your hips above your legs rather than behind your heels. Rest your forearms on the chair seat. Breathe deeply for 10 to 15 breaths, feeling an inner thigh and groin stretch and relaxing your back. Certified advanced Iyengar instructor Dean Learner emphasizes that modified forward bends should be part of your regular yoga practice. Source: www.livestrong.com

Alzheimer’s Disease May Respond To Compounds in Green Tea

New studies are finding that Alzheimer’s Disease may be the result of the build up of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) in the brain and green tea might be a good candidate for the clean up crew. A green tea extract that was particularly bioavailable (the body was capable of absorbing its “good stuff”) was found to be capable of lower brain toxicity levels. Source: Nutraceuticals World

Green tea can be a powerful source of antioxidants. Other studies have found that people who take antioxidant supplements (vitamin C or vitamin E) have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared with people who do not take antioxidants. Preliminary research shows that higher blood levels of vitamin E correlate with better brain functioning in middle-aged and older adults.

Learn more about how nutrition and supplements can help ward off Alzheimer’s Disease.