Secrets of all-natural eye care

Better Nutrition, July, 1998 by James J. Gormley, Stephen Langer

Why should vision-boosting and protection be secrets, you ask. If there are amazing eye protectors that are not known by you, for all intent and purpose, they are "secrets." As we uncover some of these secrets, and some well-known protectors, we will be on the way to protecting this "most delightful of our senses."

What are the causes of many acquired vision problems? According to Siegfried Gursche, M.H., and Zoltan P. Rona, M.D., in their Encyclopedia of Natural Healing (1997), "an unhealthy diet, excessive eye strain, inadequate sleep and rest, insufficient lighting, working too long at an exceptionally close range, especially when doing very exacting work -- without resting the eyes or looking away frequently -- all affect vision."

Another basic culprit in vision loss is actually something which is supposed to protect us -- sunglasses. Wearing sunglasses without ultraviolet (UV) protection (and excessively) may lead to cataracts and dim vision.

Let's look at some serious, and some not-so serious, vision problems (and protectors against), and some just-plain vision-boosting supplements.

Examining some serious eye disorders

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). Statistics predict that 7.5 million Americans will experience age-related-macular-degeneration-caused loss of vision by the year 2020 (interesting year, in this case!). ARMD is, sadly, the leading cause of irreversible blindness for people over 60 years of age.

"What is particularly frightening about this disease is the fact that there is no known treatment," Earl Mindell, Ph.D., R.Ph., points out in his 1997 book, Earl Mindell's Secret Remedies (Fireside Books). "There is a ray of hope, however, that antioxidants may help to prevent, or lessen the severity, of vision loss."

The macula, itself, is a "small dimple on the retina that is responsible for fine vision, the kind that is used for tasks such as writing, sewing, and distinguishing color," Mindell explains.

Macular damage can reduce our ability to see; vision may get foggy; straight objects can appear bent; and a dark spot may appear in the field of vision. Eventually, Mindell says, "victims of macular degeneration may lose all central vision."

Although the exact cause of ARMD is not known, it may be brought on by years of unchecked free-radical bombardment of the retina, including the macula.

Supplementation. There's a strong possibility that a taurine deficiency contributes to macular degeneration. This is an area figuratively crying out for study.

A researcher named D.A. Lebuisson, and associates, announced an effective method in a French medical publication. Lebuisson's method heralded the use of supplements of Ginkgo biloba to rev up blood flow into the micro-circulation in the eyes and brain.

Not only does ginkgo improve circulation, it prevents free-radical damage in the retina and -- even more importantly -- the macula, as poor circulation and free-radical attacks are the two culprits in macular degeneration.

Much more publicized is Dr. Jonathan Wright's modality that can help prevent, and successfully help in the treatment of, macular degeneration. This regimen includes zinc, taurine, vitamin E, and selenium.

DHA (docoshexaenoic acid) is also absolutely critical for the health of the retina, and for preventing age-related macular degeneration.

Cataracts. Records tell us that 4 million people have cataracts, and that, at least, 40,000 Americans are blind due to cataracts.

What are cataracts? "A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, which results in the loss of transparency, preventing light from reaching the pupil," Mindell informs. "A cataract can distort vision by making images appear vague and fuzzy, almost as if you are trying to see through layers of gauze."

If this clouding becomes severe, total blindness may result. Likewise, surgical cataract removal is very common, in fact, accounting for 12 percent of the Medicare budget!

Causes? There are several, including in-born "defects," eye trauma, and diseases, such as diabetes. Mostly, however, cataracts occur from a lifetime of too much visual exposure to sunlight and as a consequence of the cumulative effects of free-radical bombardment.

Luckily for us, antioxidants may help to prevent cataracts from forming, in the first place.

Supplementation. Being one of the top free-radical fighters, vitamin C is an admirable protector of eye lenses, as has been shown by countless studies. This vitamin is concentrated in the aqueous humor, one of the eye fluids, at 30 to 50 times what it is in blood serum. Only the adrenal glands have more.

Many studies reveal that there's little or no vitamin C in eye lenses with a cataract condition, it is too difficult to ingest enough vitamin C from foods to compensate for this deficiency, so a vitamin C supplement often can make up the difference.

In a study by biochemist D. Atkinson, 450 cataract patients supplemented with 1,000 mg of vitamin C daily, and there was a significant halt in the development of cataracts.