If you’ve reached your 60s, you’re probably experiencing some vision problems. The most common cause of vision loss over the age of 60 is macular degeneration. It’s a degenerative disease of the retina. And it leads to the loss of central vision.

With life expectancies on the rise, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is becoming a major health issue. That’s why so many of the brightest doctors are now seeking solutions.

Dr. John Paul SanGiovanni is at the top of that list. He’s a Harvard graduate who now leads the Clinical Trials Branch at the National Eye Institute. Just this year he was awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Award.

Dr. SanGiovanni has made it his six-year mission to find ways to combat AMD…and he’s just completed a massive study which shows two specific nutrients are vital to eye protection.

“People reporting higher intake of [the nutrients] from foods have a reduced likelihood of having AMD,” he says.

He’s not the only expert who believes in these nutrients.

Dr. Paul Bernstein has seen the latest research and supports it. He’s also a Harvard Medical School graduate and now heads up research for the John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah.

Dr. Bernstein also believes these two nutrients are key to preventing AMD.

“[The nutrients] are concentrated in the macula,” he says, “and are derived exclusively from diet.”

Until now doctors have thought these nutrients weren’t important. But these new findings are changing that thinking. One other eye expert even says these nutrients can reduce AMD risk by 43 percent.

The Eye of Study

Dr. SanGiovanni studied 4,519 participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). Their ages ranged from 60 to 80 years old.

He began by taking stereoscopic color fundus photographs. Those are technical photos of the interior surface of the eye. That’s where you’ll find the retina. The research team then used the photos to determine AMD severity. After that they separated the test subjects into five groups, based on AMD severity.

Four groups had varying levels of AMD. One was an AMD-free control group.

Test subjects then completed a 90-item food frequency questionnaire. And the research team then looked for links between diet and AMD.

Dr. SanGiovanni compared the four AMD groups with the control group. He found a clear link between the nutrients and AMD. People who consumed the highest amounts of the nutrients had the lowest levels of AMD. People who consumed the lowest amounts had the worst levels of AMD.

Those results convinced him that these nutrients can reduce the risk of AMD.

But that’s not all these eye nutrients can do. They can also help improve your vision. Researchers from the University of Georgia found that the nutrients improve visual performance under glaring light conditions. You can read that study here.

Now these nutrients are gaining popular support. Dr. Bernstein and several other eye experts recently gathered in Germany to present data supporting the benefits of these eye-protectors.

Image: first person view of macular degeneration… http://www.myeyedentityeyewear.com

The Eye Nutrient Team

The two nutrients are almost one and the same. One is lutein and the other is zeaxanthin. They’re called isomers. Both have identical chemical formulas but different structural formulas; both are classified as carotenoids.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are both found in the eye – mostly in the macula. It’s the yellow spot near the retina. That yellow color comes from the lutein and zeaxanthin content.

Here’s where the two nutrients differ… Zeaxanthin is mostly found in the macula. Lutein makes its home throughout the retina. The retina is tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye. The much smaller macula is located within the retina.

The macula absorbs blue and UV light that enters the eye. High-energy blue light is a big threat to eye damage. That’s because it’s 100 times more likely to cause free radical damage than lower energy red light.

But how do they work exactly?

Dr. Brandon Lewis has the answer. He’s a Senior Scientist at Kemin Health. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition. Dr. Lewis and his colleagues looked at the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye. Their study was published in the journal Clinics of Dermatology.

“Lutein and zeaxanthin have been shown to filter high-energy wavelengths of visible light and act as antioxidants to protect against the formation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent free radicals,” says Dr. Lewis.

So lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eyes from sunlight damage, filter blue light, and act as antioxidants in the eyes.

What This Means to You

So how can you protect your eyes? The best way is to get these two nutrients into your body.

You can get them in the foods that you eat. Your best sources are green vegetables like kale and spinach. Eating them raw gives you the best benefits. There are also high amounts found in egg yolk, kiwi, and grapes.

The amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula determines your “macular pigment.” New studies show that your pigment matches your dietary intake. A study from Florida International University shows that low levels of macular pigment are a key risk factor for developing AMD.

Dr. Johanna Seddon is a Harvard grad and a pioneer of nutritional research in AMD. She’s currently a director at the New England Eye Center for Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Seddon has studied macular degeneration for over 20 years.

Her research shows that 6 mg of lutein per day leads to a 43 percent lower risk of AMD. That sounds like a lot of scientific jargon. But it’s not complicated. Half a cup of cooked kale has 10.3 mg of lutein. Half a cup of spinach yields 6.3 mg. So a half cup of kale or spinach lowers your risk of AMD by 43 percent.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are also available as supplements. The most popular are in tablet form. You can get them online or at any health food store.

We will soon release our newest issue of our monthly newsletter, Natural Health Dossier.

There’s a vision problem that’s growing at an alarming rate. Yet according to one nutritional scientist, in ancient times, it hardly existed at all. If it wasn’t for eyeglasses, it would be a major health epidemic today. But glasses aren’t the solution…they just treat the problem.

Conventional treatment doesn’t address the cause. And our modern environment is only making it worse. But the good news is…we have uncovered a solution to protect your eyes from this growing problem.

Only paid NHD subscribers have access to this issue. If you’re not a paid subscriber, learn about the benefits of becoming one now.

To your best health,

Michael Jelinek,

Managing Editor, NHD “Health Watch”

Health Topic: Aging | Health Watch

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