Will Lutein Supplements Improve Vision? - Some Facts to Ponder
Filed Under Anti Aging Supplement, Anti Aging Vitamin, Cholesterol, Enteric Coating, Eyesight, Lutein, Main Content, Natural Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Total Balance Supplements, Zeaxanthin | Leave a Comment
If you are wondering will lutein improve vision, you may have seen or heard a commercial for a health supplement. Here are the facts that were probably not included in that commercial.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two powerful antioxidants that are highly concentrated in the macula, a small area of the retina responsible for central vision and good visual acuity. Some studies indicate that increased intake helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration or AMD. Some studies have concluded that high supplementation (10mg zeaxanthin, 50mg lutein) lowers the risk of cataracts and may actually improve visual acuity in AMD by 20% or more.
So, if you have AMD and you are wondering will lutein improve vision, the answer is “maybe”. It is difficult to be more certain than that, because so many other factors come into play. Every health problem that affects other parts of your body also affects visual acuity. Many health problems increase the risk of AMD. If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then supplementation may not help. If you are obese or your diet is high in fat, it may not help.
Promising results from a single supplement when there are so many other factors to consider would be dishonest. Yet, some manufacturers focus only on the possible benefits and never mention the importance of a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
If you do not have AMD and you are wondering will lutein improve vision, some people have reported improved eyesight after improving their nutritional intake with a totally balanced supplement. A single nutrient is probably a waste of time. Here’s a question for you. How’s your diet?
If you run through the day grabbing fast foods or snacks from the vending machine and then come home at night to eat meat and potatoes, then a good multi-nutritional supplement that includes mixed carotenoids should help you see better. If you remember being told to eat your carrots, there was a good reason for that. We didn’t know much about different antioxidants, until recently, but we have known for many years that eating carrots supports eye health, because of the carotenoids they contain.
The problem today is that most of the supplements on the market contain synthetic vitamins. There is now way to be sure that the synthetics are beneficial at all. If the latest studies are any indication, they probably are not.
The answer to will lutein improve vision might depend upon where the manufacturer got it. Is the source natural or is it a petrochemical? Many people are surprised to learn that their vitamins contain petrochemicals. People that would never expose themselves to cigarette smoke are ingesting possible carcinogens, every day.
Not all petrochemicals are carcinogenic, at least as far as we know, but many of them are. They are all made in the same factory. It is safe to assume that petrochemicals are bad for our health.
Luckily, there are some reputable manufacturers that use only natural ingredients. Now, instead of asking will lutein improve vision, why not learn more about how to choose a good multi-nutritional supplement.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body. Learn what she uses and recommends at http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com
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Lutein and Zeaxanthin Supplements Alone Aren’t Enough
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Many optometrists and ophthalmologists are recommending lutein and zeaxanthin supplements for their patients that are at risk for age-related macular degeneration. Some doctors recommend them for all of their patients, a preventative maintenance. You will find that there are a variety of different brands and ingredient combinations to choose from, including a single ingredient zeaxanthin supplement. So, what’s the best choice?
Well, according to the latest research, lutein and zeaxanthin supplements should contain some other ingredients, too. Consumers should check out the amount that is included in the tablet, too. Many manufacturers include just a tiny amount of each. Most studies indicate that the necessary daily dose to see long term benefit is 50mg of lutein and 10mg of zeaxanthin.
Other ingredients that should be included are mixed carotenoids and vitamin E. A single ingredient zeaxanthin supplement provides only a single carotenoid. Other carotenoids include:
- Beta-carotene, deficiency causes night blindness, severe deficiency causes permanent blindness
- Lycopene, a potent antioxidant that may inhibit damage done to the inside of the eye by UV rays and blue light
Some products provide all of the carotenoids that are beneficial to human health. They don’t cost much more than a single-ingredient zeaxanthin supplement, but they are likely to provide more benefits. If you want the best value for your money, you want more than lutein and zeaxanthin supplements, you want multiple nutrients. Some of the best products contain over 70 different nutrients including basic vitamins and minerals, so that you don’t need to take a daily multi-vitamin, too. That reduces your total cost.
In addition to the benefits to eye health, recent studies indicate that a zeaxanthin supplement may lower cholesterol levels by increasing HDL (good cholesterol) and reducing LDL (bad cholesterol). HDL particles are large molecules of cholesterol that are able to pick up small LDL particles and return them to the liver for reprocessing or disposal. It is the small particles that build up on the arterial walls and become hardened, leading to heart disease and blood clots. Other nutrients and plant extracts that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels include green tea, resveratrol, policosanol and lecithin, as well as omega3 fatty acids.
Because of their antioxidant activity, lutein and zeaxanthin supplements have been investigated for their benefits in treating or preventing cancer. It appears that lutein, not a zeaxanthin supplement, has the greatest benefit in this area, although the evidence is still in the preliminary stages. It is safe to day that increasing your overall antioxidant intake is one of the things that you can do to reduce your risk of cancer.
Some of the basic antioxidants include vitamins A, C, D, E and selenium. Some of the more potent ones include catechins found in green tea, curcumin found in turmeric, proanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and resveratrol, all of which are found in the skins of red grapes and may be responsible for the health benefits associated with red wine consumption.
There lots of different brands of lutein and zeaxanthin supplements on the market, but if you want to do as much as you can for your overall health, you want more than those two…lots more.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information supporting the use of natural and clinically tested ingredients in their anti aging supplements. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body. Learn what she uses and recommends at http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com
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Zeaxanthin Dosage For Improved Vision in Anti Aging Supplements
Filed Under Anti Aging Supplement, Anti Aging Vitamin, Antioxidant, Enteric Coating, Eyesight, Lutein, Main Content, Nutritional Supplements, Total Balance Supplements, Zeaxanthin | Leave a Comment
When you are trying to learn about an adequate zeaxanthin dosage, information is hard to come by. The experts do not seem to agree about how much is enough to reduce your risk of age-related eye diseases. One of the things that they do agree about is that this single nutrient is not a miracle pill.
Every time researchers learn something new about a nutrient and the media gets involved, new supplement manufacturers appear on the scene. Often their websites contain videos from TV news stories or talk shows. In the US, supplement manufacturers are prohibited from making misleading statements, but media reports can be just as misleading.
Resveratrol is a perfect example. You may have seen news reports about how that antioxidant is responsible for the health benefits of red wine. Supplements containing just that single ingredient are being touted as “anti-aging” formulas.
While there is no doubt that resveratrol is a potent antioxidant, new research has shown that it could not be the only compound responsible for the health benefits of red wine, because the amount present is too low and it is not readily absorbed into the bloodstream. Researchers have concluded that the benefit is more likely due to all of the different antioxidants found in the skins of red grapes. Those include proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins, as well as resveratrol.
When it comes to the health of the eyes, a zeaxanthin dosage is not the only important nutrient. The eyes need lutein, anthocyanins, beta-carotene, glucosamine, n-acetyl cysteine, B12, B2 and l-carnosine. A deficit in any of these nutrients could result in poor vision and age-related eye diseases.
A lutein and zeaxanthin dosage is most commonly recommended because they are the primary pigments found in the retina. In age-related macular degeneration or AMD, there are inadequate amounts of these nutrients circulating in the bloodstream. Low circulating levels are also associated with high cholesterol, which in turn is a risk factor for AMD. A well-designed multi-nutritional supplement can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce other risk factors for the disease.
If you have tried health supplements in the past and been disappointed by the results, the problem was probably the manufacturer, not the nutrient itself. Most manufacturers, particularly suppliers of the cheap multi-vitamins on the market, use synthetic forms of vitamins and minerals.
There have never been any studies comparing the efficacy of natural vitamins versus synthetic ones. But, natural health experts are firm in their belief that the synthetics are not good for you. Many of them are made from petroleum. You may as well call them plastic vitamins.
If they do include the natural form of the nutrient, they often do not include enough. One of the more expensive eye health supplements on the market contains a zeaxanthin dosage of less than 1mg. That might be enough for a child, but for an older adult, at least 10mg per day would be necessary.
The latest studies indicate that the most effective formula for countering AMD is a combination of antioxidants, not a single zeaxanthin dosage. It just isn’t enough.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information supporting the use of natural and clinically tested ingredients in their anti aging supplements. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body. Learn what she uses and recommends at http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com
Taking Lutein For Macular Degeneration - Preliminary Studies Are Promising
Filed Under Anti Aging Supplement, Anti Aging Vitamin, Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Enteric Coating, Eyesight, Fish Oil Supplements, Heart Disease, Lutein, Main Content, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Total Balance Supplements, Zeaxanthin | Leave a Comment
Several studies have looked at the value of lutein for macular degeneration. One research group refers to it as “anti-aging ophthalmology”. They group it with lifestyle related diseases. It does seem that unhealthy eating habits and other lifestyle factors, such as smoking, increase the risk, but there are genetic factors that come into play as well. Researchers first began to look at lutein and macular degeneration, because the antioxidant is one of the components of a healthy retina.
The retina is light sensitive tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye. The macula is a tiny spot within the retina that is responsible for central vision. Light striking the retina causes a cascade of chemical and electrical events that eventually send signals to the visual centers of the brain. Doctors recommending lutein for macular degeneration do so because some studies have found that taking it and other antioxidants reduce the risk of blindness from the “dry” type of the disease.
While there is no conclusive evidence linking low blood levels of lutein and macular degeneration, it has been noted that there is a lower concentration of both lutein and zeaxanthin in the retinas of people with the disease. Until recently, this could only be measured post-mortem, but one research group has found a way to measure zeaxanthin concentration. So, it may soon be possible for ophthalmologists to measure the antioxidant concentration in their offices and be able to make specific recommendation.
A six year study conducted at the National Eye Institute in Maryland draws the strongest connection between lutein and macular degeneration prevention. Doctors concluded that it does, in fact, protect against blindness, but they also included zeaxanthin in the nutritional formula that was given to patients.
You might be wondering why there is so much excitement about lutein for macular degeneration treatment. But, if you have any familiarity with the disease, you know that there are currently no effective treatments. Loss of central vision is the usual result and it affects 1.2 million Americans.
In addition to lutein and macular degeneration, anti-aging ophthalmology researchers have also looked at the value of fish oil, the antioxidant Astaxanthin and a variety of other “food factors” that they believe should be recommended for early intervention. Basically, it is the fish, fruit and vegetable diet that keeps people healthy.
Taking lutein for macular degeneration prevention may be a good idea. But, if you are over the age of 40 and haven’t always followed the fish-fruit-vegetable eating plan, you need more help.
There may not be a strong connection between low levels of lutein and macular degeneration in the elderly. But studies have shown that there is a strong connection between high levels of total antioxidants and “no” macular degeneration. The antioxidants studied were those that are found in the traditional Japanese diet.
The best suggestion for everyone is to find and take a good multi-nutritional supplement that contains a variety of plant extracts, including lutein, zeaxanthin, Astaxanthin, beta-carotene and green tea extract. A good omega 3 supplement (fish oil) is also important. Omega 3 fatty acids are another component of a healthy retina. Increasing total antioxidant intake will do more than taking lutein for macular degeneration, alone.
Valerie Rosenbaum has spent years researching the claims of anti aging supplements and skin care products to find out which ingredients and products are most effective at slowing or even reversing the aging process. If you are interested in restoring your youthful vigor and appearance then visit her website http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com to learn more.
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Vision Supplements - Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Omega 3’s & Other Natural Ingredients to Include
Filed Under Anti Aging Supplement, Anti Aging Vitamin, Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Enteric Coating, Eyesight, Fish Oil Supplements, Heart Disease, Lutein, Main Content, Natural Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Total Balance Supplements, Zeaxanthin | Leave a Comment
Before you buy vision supplements, you might want to learn about what they should contain. Although some visual problems are caused by genetics, prescription drugs or other health problems, more and more research indicates that inadequate nutritional intake is the biggest problem, particularly when it comes to age related eye disease.
The things that cause cellular aging in all of the cells of the body also have a detrimental affect on the eyes. Free radical damage, chronic inflammation and glycation negatively affect the health of the eyes, as they do all of the cells of the body.
When UV radiation from the sun enters the eye it triggers the production of free radical molecules. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. UV rays are known to play a role in the development of cataracts and they may be involved in age-related macular degeneration, as well. According to recent studies, blue light, which is visible, seems to be more of a problem for macular degeneration.
Antioxidants known as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, absorb blue light. Most vision supplements contain little more than lutein and zeaxanthin, but there is so much more that we need.
Many people think of inflammation as the thing that causes pain in the joints. But, inflammatory molecules are present all over the body and contribute to a variety of diseases, including cancer.
When eaten, certain foods, particularly omega 6 fatty acids and saturated fats, are quickly converted to inflammatory molecules. Other foods, such as omega 3’s found in fatty fish and fish oils, are converted to anti-inflammatory compounds. In addition, many antioxidants and plant extracts have natural anti-inflammatory activity. They neutralize the inflammatory compounds.
The best vision supplements contain nutrients that have natural anti-inflammatory activity, because inflammation plays a role in age-related macular degeneration (particularly the more serious “wet” type), glaucoma and retinal detachments, which are more common once a person passes the age of 50. Key nutrients to look for include alpha lipoic acid, turmeric, glutathione and resveratrol.
You have probably heard of free radical damage and inflammation, but you might not have heard about glycation. It is even more dangerous to your health than free radicals. The reason that you don’t hear much about it is because there isn’t much that you can do about it.
Few vision supplements contain the only nutrient that is known to prevent and break up the plaques caused by glycation. That nutrient is L-carnosine. It’s expensive and it must be protected by an enteric coating or there is little or no benefit to supplementation. Turmeric, glutathione and resveratrol must also be protected with an enteric coating; else they quickly degrade into inactive compounds.
Other nutrients and extracts that are beneficial for eye health include bilberry extract, molybdenum, beta-carotene, glucosamine, n-acetyl cysteine, vitamin B2 and B12. A high quality omega 3 fish oil supplement is another good choice. Most vision supplements on the market contain lutein and zeaxanthin, but not much else. The best multi-nutritional supplements contain all of the nutrients mentioned in this article. Not only are they good for your eyes, they are good for your whole body.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information supporting the use of natural and clinically tested ingredients in their anti aging supplements. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body.
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?Vision-Supplements—Lutein,-Zeaxanthin,-Omega-3s-and-Other-Natural-Ingredients-to-Include&id=2222752
