8/12/2014

Eye health: I can see clearly now... - Health | The Star Online

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Home > Lifestyle > Health

Published: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM

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Updated: Monday August 11, 2014 MYT 7:11:08 PM

Eye health: I can see clearly

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You should not accept poor vision as an inevitable consequence of ageing.

There are ways to keep your eyes healthy as you age.
We have five senses: the eyes to see, the tongue to taste, the nose to smell, the ears
to hear, and the skin to touch.
In general, eyesight is one of the most important senses, as 80% of what we perceive
comes through our sense of sight.

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The eyes have to take over the work if another sense is missing. For example, if other
senses such as taste or smell stop working, it is the eyes that protect us from danger.

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No camera is a match for the tasks that our eyes are capable of performing on a
daily basis: distinguishing between light and dark, and interpreting shape, colours
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8/12/2014

Eye health: I can see clearly now... - Health | The Star Online

Eyesight is something so natural that we take it for granted.

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However, many people suffer from deficient visual acuity.

As we grow older, our vision is not as sharp; prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV)
rays and harmful blue light may cause excessive free radical damage to our eyes,
which may lead to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
Did you know that cataracts and AMD are the leading causes of visual impairment
and acquired blindness both globally and within Malaysia?

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And approximately 82% of all blind people worldwide are aged 50 years and above.
While ageing affects the health of our eyes, poor eye health should not be accepted
as a part of life.

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Some people avoid eye tests because they think that there is nothing that can be
done to help their poor vision.
Actually, there are ways to protect your eyesight and keep your eyes healthy as you
age.

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A number of nutritional supplements are available for eye health.

Two of the most common eye health supplements include lutein and zeaxanthin.
Numerous studies have shown that these carotenoid antioxidants can reduce the risk
of cataracts and AMD.

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Lutein and zeaxanthin selectively accumulate in the macula, the centre of the retina
where light-induced damage and free radical damage may occur.

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Unfortunately, as we age, the concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eyes

decline.

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This will affect vision (blurry images, difficulty reading, poor night-time vision, eye
fatigue due to overstraining), and increase cataracts and AMD risk.
These two carotenoids shield the eyes from damaging UV light and act as
antioxidants to protect the lenses, retina and macula against free radical damage.

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Like many other important nutrients, lutein and zeaxanthin are not manufactured in
the body. The only way to obtain it is in our food or by supplementing with lutein and
zeaxanthin.
Food sources of lutein and zeaxanthin include spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, mangoes
and egg yolk. Consuming adequate amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin through food
can be particularly difficult.
The other option is to take concentrated supplemental lutein and zeaxanthin from
standardised marigold flower extract.
Ensure the supplement contains at least 6mg (preferably 10mg) of standardised
lutein. Studies have found that zeaxanthin is beneficial only when their amounts are
much higher, e.g. at least 5mg daily.
Results from a study conducted by the Third National Examination Survey (NHANES
III) have suggested a minimum of 6-10mg per day of lutein and zeaxanthin to reduce
the risk of AMD.

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8/12/2014

Eye health: I can see clearly now... - Health | The Star Online

Similar results were found in two studies published in Investigative Ophthalmology

and Visual Science. They showed that eyes with greater levels of macular pigments
were less likely to have or develop AMD.
In addition, recent studies published in Archives of Ophthalmology have found that
diets rich in lutein and zeaxanthin are moderately associated with decreased
prevalence of nuclear cataractss in older women.
Manage conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, as these can greatly impact
vision if left untreated, resulting in diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and even
blindness.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other
metabolic disease that can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic retinopathy or
glaucoma.
There is a statistically significant association between smoking and AMD, with a twoto three-fold increased risk of AMD in current smokers, compared to never-smokers.
Protect your eyes from harmful UV light. You should always wear sunglasses with
proper UV protection to shield your eyes from the suns harmful rays.
Get your eyes checked regularly by an optometrist. The earlier eye conditions are
detected, the greater the chance of successful treatment and retaining your vision.
References:
1.Keeping Your Eyes Healthy: Live a healthy lifestyle, National Eye Institute,
https://www.nei.nih.gov/hvm/healthy_eyes_lifestyle.asp
2. Thornton J, Edwards R, Mitchell P, Harrison RA, Buchan I and Kelly SP.
Smoking and Age-related Macular Degeneration: a Review of Association, Eye 19
(2005): 935944, accessed July 28, 2014,
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16151432
3. Suzen M. Moeller, Rick Voland, Lesley Tinker, Barbara A. Blodi, Michael L.
Klein, Karen M. Gehrs, Elizabeth J. Johnson, D. Max Snodderly, Robert B.
Wallace, Richard J. Chappell, Niyati Parekh, Cheryl Ritenbaugh, Julie A. Mares,
CAREDS Study Group, Associations between Age-related Nuclear Cataracts and
Lutein and Zeaxanthin in the Diet and Serum in the Carotenoids in the Age-Related
Eye Disease Study (CAREDS), an Ancillary Study of the Womens Health
Initiative, Archives of Ophthalmology 126 (2008):354-364, accessed July 28, 2014,
doi: 10.1001/archopht.126.3.354.
This article is courtesy of Live-well Nutraceuticals. For more information, consult
your pharmacist, call Live-well INFOline: 03-6142 6570 or e-mail
info@livewel2u.com. The information provided is for educational and
communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical
advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or
augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the readers own
medical care.

TAGS / KEYWORDS:
eyesight, lutein, zeaxanthin
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Eye health: I can see clearly now... - Health | The Star Online

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1 Comment
EduGuide Msia 2 days ago
Eye supplements is something that the pharmacist or medical
practitioner needs to promote.
Reply

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