[tabi] article on nutrients to preserve eye health

From: "Chip Orange" <Corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:15:14 -0400
Below is from the most recent issue of "Daily Health News", and provides
documentation  on a nutrient supplement (which you can purchase in
stores) which helps preserve eye health.  You can find a great deal of
further information on the internet.
 
 
Several years ago, my neighbor joined the 30% of people over age 75 who
have age-related
macular degeneration (AMD). It has been wrenching to watch her, once an
active reader,
having to cope with the loss of sight. I've been bringing her books on
tape, but
such things are small consolation -- and I keep scanning the latest
research findings,
hoping medicine will be able to offer her something more. So far, I've
found that
while there are no miracles for my neighbor, there is hope for those who
have not
sustained the level of damage she has. It's been known for some time
that diet can
be a major help to eye health, specifically a diet containing foods with
a carotene
antioxidant called
lutein
. But now recent information is helping us to understand why -- and
will, I hope,
make you finally start taking this easy step to protect and preserve
your own eyes!

In a new study from Japan designed to help us better understand lutein's
healing
properties, researchers fed one group of mice a lutein-free diet and
another group
a diet supplemented with 0.1% lutein. They then exposed both groups to a
high-intensity
light for three hours. Afterward, the researchers evaluated eye tissue
from the mice
and found that those that had consumed lutein had lower levels of a
negative biomarker
(gamma-H2AX) indicating breaks in DNA. Furthermore, in these mice, the
activity of
a protein called EYA3 showed DNA repair was much higher than in that of
the other
mice. So now we know how, at the biochemical level, lutein serves as a
pair of "internal
sunglasses" to protect the eyes.
I spoke with ophthalmologist Abdhish R. Bhavsar, MD, director of
clinical research
at the Retina Center of Minnesota and clinical correspondent for the
American Academy
of Ophthalmology, about lutein. He said he's looking forward to findings
expected
in several years from a large ongoing study called Age-Related Eye
Disease Study
2 (AREDS2) that will give us direct information about the role of lutein
and the
progression of AMD in human eyes.

Brighten Up Your Diet to Save Your Sight
In the meantime, however, everyone agrees that a diet containing lutein
is important
for eye health. Foods that contain lutein include dark, leafy
vegetables, such as
kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce and Swiss chard, as well as eggs,
broccoli, tomatoes,
avocados, sweet potatoes, squash and mangoes. Studies have shown that
just 6 mg of
lutein a day can help protect against AMD. This is an easy amount to get
from food
-- for example, two ounces of cooked spinach contains 6 mg of lutein.
(AREDS2 is
using 10 mg/day of lutein.) Dr. Bhavsar also advises people with AMD to
take supplements
containing vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, zinc and copper. Of
course, I will
keep you posted on new developments that can help us all protect our
sight.

Source(s):
Abdhish R. Bhavsar, MD, director of clinical research, Retina Center of
Minnesota
in Minneapolis, and clinical correspondent for the American Academy of
Ophthalmology.
http://news.bottomlinepublishing.com/a/hBObyrSB8V0u3B8dUFANFNORvkl/dhn2?
REFERRER_EMAIL=&email=corange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[tabi] article on nutrients to preserve eye health

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