Here are some excerpts from newsletters I subscribe to.
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Dr. Wright: In a study published in 2002, researchers enrolled 49 cataracts patients. Twenty-six of the participants used eyedrops containing 1 percent N-acetylcarnosine twice daily, 13 research volunteers used a placebo eyedrop twice daily, and the other 10 individuals got no eyedrops at all.
After six months, 90 percent of the N-acetylcarnosine-treated eyes showed improvement ranging from 7 percent to 100 percent in visual acuity, and 88.9 percent showed a 27 to 100 percent improvement in glare sensitivity. And what makes these results even more impressive is that the improvements were sustained over the entire two-year study period — not a single patient taking the N-acetylcarnosine eyedrops had any worsening of vision!
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In a study, in 1989, 50 elderly men and women with early stage cataracts were given a combination of bilberry extract and vitamin E or a placebo.
At the end of the study, the bilberry group saw a 97 percent slow in cataract growth.
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lutein and zeaxanthin – compounds that protect your macula (the part of the eye responsible for central vision) and prevent cataracts
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You watermelon-lovers out there will be glad to know that a fresh slice of watermelon actually has a higher concentration of lycopene than a fresh tomato slice
lycopene’s antioxidant powers don’t stop there; it’s also been shown to:
Help protect against cancer
SLASH your risk of cataracts
Prevent the hardening of your arteries
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An international study just revealed you can SLASH your risk of cataracts by an astounding 50 percent if you just eat colorful fruits and vegetables.
The researchers found the following are the absolute BEST for cataract prevention—so really try to work them in:
Citrus fruits (limes and lemons are better than oranges)
Tomatoes
Carrots
Dark leafy greens
Naringin has been shown to slow down cataract formation in diabetics.
Pectins, specifically citrus pectins
triphala prevented cataracts in 80 percent of the mice that had been predisposed to the condition.
In the group that didn’t receive triphala, all the mice developed cataracts.
And as I’ve shared with eTips readers before, a combination of Chinese botanicals called “Hachimi-jio-gan” has been successfully used in China for centuries to treat cataracts.
I also recommend 30,000 IU of vitamin A (not beta-carotene), bilberry, and ginkgo for anyone who wants to treat or prevent cataracts
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Clear cataracts by lowering blood sugar
Following the Paleo diet — which keeps blood sugar steady by eliminating all sugars, grains, and processed foods — is an easy way to reverse diabetes (and the resulting cataracts) for good.
The dark leafy greens, animal proteins, fish, nuts, and fruits you’ll be eating on the diet are also loaded with nutrients that are essential for eye health, like lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, and selenium.
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alpha-linolenic acid itself has been linked to higher risk of issues like cataracts
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I also recommend 30,000 IU of vitamin A (not beta-carotene) for anyone who wants to treat (or even prevent) cataracts. In fact, the only people who shouldn’t use this amount are very small children (who don’t get cataracts anyway) and pregnant women.
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Bilberry and ginkgo are the best vision-supporting herbs, but some other, useful eye-protecting nutrients include:
lutein and zeaxanthin (found in highest concentrations in spinach, collard greens, and other deep green leafy vegetables)
zinc (found in oysters, fish, and other animal protein)
selenium (two to four Brazil nuts a day are an excellent source)
riboflavin (brewer’s yeast, almonds, mushrooms, wheat bran, and dark green leafy vegetables)
taurine (organ meats, fish, and other animal protein), and
quercetin (onions, apples, kale, cherries, grapes, red cabbage, and green beans).
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Study showed that a diet high in vitamin C can reduce the risk of cataracts by a third.
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Cataract risk skyrockets with statin drugs
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And that’s what’s particularly exciting about the six “super herbs” that can help prevent conditions like AMD, cataracts, DR, and glaucoma. Because they work by stopping inflammation and cell death that can harm your eyes, they can also protect other organs and parts of your body as well.
# 1: Curcumin
I’ve talked a bit before about curcumin, the active component of the common kitchen spice turmeric.
One of the reasons that curcumin works so well is that it’s stable in stomach acid. That means it doesn’t break down as it moves through the digestive tract.
Curcumin helps control some of the enzymes that cause inflammation, and it interferes with the production of something called TNF alpha. That’s a messenger in your body that promotes cell death and inflammation.
In rat studies, curcumin has been found to protect against radiation and hydrogen peroxide damage to the retina.2 Other studies have shown that curcumin can prevent against damage of diabetic retinopathy.3 Still other animal research demonstrated the protective effect of curcumin against cataract formation, both the diabetic and nondiabetic forms.4
The authors of one review study concluded that curcumin’s anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties make it “a compound of choice” in the treatment and prevention of multiple eye illnesses, including AMD, DR, and cataracts.5
# 2: Saffron
Another kitchen spice that has remarkable effects on the prevention and treatment of eye diseases is saffron. Its active ingredients, crosin and crocetin, protect your cells against ROS—and that means they can stop (or even reverse) oxidation, cell death, and inflammation.
Saffron actually blocks the action of Caspase-3, the enzyme that leads to cell death, and increases your levels of glutathione, one of the most powerful antioxidants around.
Test tube trials have shown that saffron protects retinal cells against oxidative stress,6 and animal trials have shown the protective effect of saffron on the formation of cataracts, seemingly by shielding the lens cells against oxidative damage.7
But here’s the good news, since your eyeballs aren’t in a test tube or the body of a rat: human trials have shown benefits of saffron supplements in improving early macular degeneration (AMD).8
# 3: Lutein and Zeaxanthin
Any discussion of plant-based antioxidants for the eye must include the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These pigments are commonly found in many yellow-colored fruits (peaches, papaya, squash) and green leafy vegetables, and they’ve been shown to lower your risk of AMD.9
A recent clinical study demonstrated that supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin slowed down the development of AMD and improved vision.10
Researchers think that these pigments absorb blue and UV light, which you’re exposed to through sunlight and computer screens. Too much blue light reaching the retina has been implicated in the development of AMD.
#4: Quercetin
A few months ago, I told you about quercetin’s use in prostate cancer prevention and treatment, but it has also been studied for its usefulness in vision disorders.
Found in vegetables, berries, and tea, this remarkable flavonoid is another botanical substance that acts as an antioxidant and inhibits the formation of ROS. In fact, quercetin beat other antioxidants in a 2011 study on preventing cataracts.11
Quercetin has also been shown to slow down angiogenesis. That’s the overgrowth of small blood vessels in the retina, and it can lead to AMD.12 Other studies have shown a role for quercetin in the prevention of diabetic complications, including retinopathy.13
# 5: Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a micronutrient found in red wine (among other delicious items in your fridge or kitchen cabinet) that’s been shown to improve heart health and slow diabetes. But it also helps prevent the development of ROS. Several studies have demonstrated its ability to reduce diabetic complications, including retinopathy.14
In animal studies, resveratrol has been shown to increase glutathione and decrease oxidative stress of the lens of the eye, suggesting its potential use in preventing cataract formation.15
And human studies have shown that it can prevent damage to optic nerve cells in patients suffering from glaucoma.16
# 6: Danshen
Now, you probably don’t have any of the Chinese herb Danshen in your spice rack because it comes from the root of a flowering plant that’s native to China and Japan. Also called Salvia or Asian red sage, it contains antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory micronutrients that can significantly improve eye health.
Due to its inhibition of TNF alpha, Danshen has been shown to protect your retinal cells.17 In fact, Danshen prevented the loss of vision in mice whose retinal tissue had been injected with it, in a study looking at diabetic retinopathy. And its intravenous form has shown benefit in treating glaucoma.
Preclinical studies suggest that Danshen can also help prevent AMD, but human clinical trials are needed before we can say for sure.
Start protecting your eyes before the damage has been done
There are supplements available that have been designed specifically for vision support (sometimes called “ocular” support). They usually include at least a couple of these great herbal ingredients in a custom blend—which is a good thing if you’d rather not eat curry for three meals a day or guzzle down carafe after carafe of red wine. (You shouldn’t do that anyway—it would take more bottles than you could drink to get enough resveratrol to benefit your eyesight in any significant way).
