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[fa icon="calendar'] Dec 4, 2021 10:24:54 AM / by Stephanie Finucane

Healthy diet and lifestyle choices go a long way in preventing and abating macular degeneration

By Stephanie Finucane

 

Poor eating and lifestyle habits won’t just make you a candidate for high blood pressure, diabetes, or cancer. They also increase your risk of blindness due to the destruction of the part of the eye called the macula, which “provides sharp, central vision needed for seeing objects clearly.”1,2 This condition is called age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and currently is the main cause of irreversible blindness and vision loss in people over the age of 60 years—with risk further increasing with age.1,2 By 2050, the amount of people with AMD is expected to increase from the 2010 estimate of 2.07 million to 5.44 million.1

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While genetics does play a role in the development of macular degeneration in young people, the age-related type of macular degeneration is generally associated with “poor circulation, inadequate waste removal, and lack of availability of oxygen and essential nutrients getting to the eyes due to poor digestion, medications, less active lifestyle, etc.”2

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No conventional treatment has proven to be effective against AMD. However, natural approaches in conjunction with healthy eating habits and regular exercise have been proven to help prevent AMD from “progressing to the point of vision loss,” writes Dr Marc Grossman, in his article “An Integrative Medical Approach to Macular Degeneration” found here: https://www.townsendletter.com/article/441-integrative-medical-approach-macular-degeneration/.2 According to Dr Grossman, healthy choices backed by peer-reviewed research include2:

· Eating a healthy diet3-5

· Exercising regularly6

· Not smoking7,8

· Avoiding excessive alcohol intake9 (although “moderate drinking of wine may have a beneficial effect,” writes Grossman10)

· Managing stress effectively11

· Maintaining a healthy weight12

· Achieving healthy blood pressure13 and cholesterol14 levels

· Supplementing with “targeted supplements such as lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids”

To learn about AMD prevention and treatment, click https://www.townsendletter.com/article/441-integrative-medical-approach-macular-degeneration/ to read the full article by Dr Grossman.

 

References

1. Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Data and Statistics. National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute. July 17, 2019. https://nei.nih.gov/eyedata/amd.

2. Grossman M. An integrative medical approach to macular degeneration – Part 1. Townsend Letter. April 2020;441;44-50. https://www.townsendletter.com/article/441-integrative-medical-approach-macular-degeneration/.

3. Pinazo-Durán MD, et al. Do Nutritional Supplements Have a Role in Age Related Macular Degeneration Prevention? J Ophthalmol. 2014; ID901686.

4. Cooper DA, Eldridge AL, Peters JC. Dietary carotenoids and certain cancers, heart disease, and age-related macular degeneration: a review of recent research. Nutr Rev. 1999;57(7):201-214.

5. Chiu CJ, et al. Association between dietary glycemic index and age-related macular degeneration in nondiabetic participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(1):180-8.

6. McGuinness MB, et al, Past physical activity and age-related macular degeneration: the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. British Journal of Ophthalogy. October 2016.

7. Stanislovaitiene D, et al. SCARB1 rs5888 is associated with the risk of age-related macular degeneration susceptibility and an impaired macular area. Ophthalmic Genetics. July 2016.

8. Seddon JM, et al. Dietary carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E, and advanced age-related macular degeneration. JAMA. 1994;272(18):1413-1420.

9. Cederbaum AI. Role of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in alcohol toxicity. Free Radic Biol Med. 1989;7:537–5394.

10. Obisesan TO, et al. Moderate wine consumption is associated with decreased odds of developing age-related macular degeneration in NHANES-1. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1998;46:1–7.

11. Dougherty BE., Cooley S-S L, Davidorf F H. Measurement of Perceived Stress in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Optometry and Vision Science. March 2017;94(3):290–296.

12. Zhang Q-Y, et al. Overweight, Obesity, and Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Mar;57(3):1276-83.

13. Hyman L, et al. Hypertension, Cardiovascular Disease, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000 Mar;118(3):351-8.

14. Targeting cholesterol build-up in eye may slow age-related vision loss. April 3, 2013.

Topics: Detoxification, Ozone and Prolozone therapies, Chronic Illness and Disease

Stephanie Finucane

Written by Stephanie Finucane

Isadora Guggenheim, ND, FNP, RN, MS, CNS, LMT, owner of Second Nature Naturopathic Care, LLC
For all appointments: Tel: 845 358-8385 Fax: 845 358-2963 drguggenheim@msn.com