SHIELD Your Eyesight with THESE Powerful Nutrients
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the US.
It’s progressive and incurable.
But that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless.
There are steps you can take to slow the progression of the disease.
It’s not a cure… but for ARMD, it’s the next best thing.
Certain nutrients accumulate in various parts of your eyes that serve as critical protection for your vision.
Some of the primary ones include lutein and zeaxanthin.
Lutein, for example, is one of the few carotenoids that get absorbed into the eye itself. Studies show that taking just 6 milligrams a day reduces the risk of macular degeneration by 43 percent.
And zeaxanthin, a close cousin of lutein, is especially good at protecting the eye from UV rays, inflammation, and importantly, blue light.
Vitamin C is also critical because it helps protect vision by allowing your body to absorb more of the nutrients it needs and by protecting against free radical damage.
Many studies have shown that supplementing with nutrients like these can help reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration and help slow the progression if you already have it.
But what about eating foods that contain these nutrients?
Can that benefit your eyes as well?
To find out, researchers looked at data collected from two famous studies: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2.
The researchers determined nutrient intake based on food frequency questionnaires and then evaluated whether it impacted the progression of the eye disease.
The highest intakes of foods with eight specific nutrients were significantly associated with a decreased risk of late-stage AMD:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Beta carotene
- Lutein/zeaxanthin
- Magnesium
- Copper
For neovascular AMD in particular (an advanced form of AMD), the following nutrients were associated with a decreased risk:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Beta carotene
- Lutein/zeaxanthin
- Magnesium
- Copper
- DHA
- Omega-3s
I like these studies because they show that it doesn’t matter how you get these protective nutrients. Getting them is what’s important.
If you’ve already been diagnosed with AMD, time is ticking.
Taking steps to increase these specific nutrients—whether through food or supplements—is your BEST OPTION for preserving your vision.
The sooner you get started, the better.
