| health eye |
Blew dust into the eyes Bezoar
stones to enhance and improve the position of the intellect. The sailors
wore gold earrings for generations to sharpen vision. Bee products like
royal jelly and propolis - which can lead to allergies and other side - being
promoted by a 'health food' advocates as a remedy for poor visibility.
The most famous charlatan eye was the late Dr. William Horatio Bates, who wrote: "The Cure of Imperfect sight by treatment without glasses" in 1920. This book virtues Bates eye exercises that he believes could cure eye diseases like cataracts and some macular degeneration (AMD). Exercise Bates encouraged people to do is look at the sun for a few minutes for vision to improve!
Fortunately there is a better and safer way to improve vision and prevent AMD, the most common cause of blindness in people older than 50 years. Researchers believe that certain vitamins and minerals can protect the eyes against this terrible disease.
This good news comes from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) Group which showed that high doses of antioxidants can reduce the risk of AMD by up to 25 percent. In a randomized trial, a total of 4,757 patients in four groups. The first group did not have AMD, the second group had early AMD, intermediate AMD was the third and the fourth group had advanced AMD. The patients received a placebo, an antioxidant treatment consisting of vitamin A (beta carotene), C and E, zinc, or antioxidants plus zink.Antioxidanten were administered at doses above the recommended daily adult requirement.
The results were encouraging. After seven years of follow-up, Dr. Neil M. Bressler, professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reported that patients in the third and fourth groups that have antioxidants and zinc reduced the risk of AMD by 25 percent. The risk of vision loss was also reduced in the same group. Moreover, no serious side effects associated with treatment.
The trial resumed on the results of initial studies that the use of antioxidants are associated with a reduced risk of AMD. In 1988, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that those who ate vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables were protected against AMD.Latere studies showed that carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin and antioxidant vitamins were responsible for this effect.
Although the mechanism is not fully understood, researchers believe that the level of lutein and zeaxanthin in the macula (the light sensitive tissue in the center of the retina that require sharp central vision and provides) are strongly influenced by the intake of these nutrients. These nutrients seem to increase macular pigment density, protect against the damaging effects of blue light.Antioxidant vitamins C, E and zinc also protect the retina against the damaging effects of free radicals, including the development of AMD.
Vitamin A is found in green leafy vegetables and yellow or orange fruits. The best sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits and vegetables, while vitamin E is present in olive oil and vegetables, cereals and a variety of nuts. What zinc, found in beef, cereals, beans, cheese and fish. If you do not have enough of these nutrients to get from your diet, it is useful to a vitamin supplement to take to reduce your risk of AMD.