13 nutritional support and lifestyle changes that may help Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD)
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Dr. Michael P. Lange, Board Certified Optometric Physician, explains how better nutrition and certain lifestyle changes can decrease your risk of going blind from Macular Degeneration

How can nutritional support and lifestyle changes help Macular Degeneration?

Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of central vision loss for people over the age of 55 in the United States.

Macular Degeneration sufferer1 in 6 Americans between the ages 55-64 will be affected, increasing to 1 in 4 aged 64-74. For the elderly, 1 in 3 over the age of 75 suffers from Macular Degeneration. With our population living longer and longer it is estimated that over 3 million Americans by 2020 will have Age Related Macular Degeneration. By then each of us will know someone that has lost their central vision and became vision impaired because of the disease. Macular Degeneration is a medical condition that causes degeneration of the central part of the retina called the macula. The two basic types of Age Related Macular Degeneration are Wet ARMD (neovascular, which means abnormal growth of new blood vessels within the eye) and Dry ARMD (non-neovascular). The dry form of Macular Degeneration is the most common type with around 85%-90% of sufferers having the dry form. The wet form of Macular Degeneration is the most visually devastating and can occur very rapidly. The dry form of ARMD can slowly cause serious distortion or loss of central vision and can turn into the wet form of ARMD. Some people may have an increased risk of developing Macular Degeneration because of their genetic makeup. However, most cases of Macular Degeneration are probably related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Optometrists and Ophthalmologists work on new therapiesOngoing research in the area of Macular Degeneration looks very promising. The evolving therapies Optometrists and Ophthalmologists have at their fingertips to help patients with Macular Degeneration are very exciting. These new therapies may halt or even cure forms of Macular Degeneration. We may even be able to return functional vision to many of these patients. Currently there are no FDA approved surgical or medical treatments for the dry form of Macular Degeneration.

What can I do to decrease my risk of going blind from Macular Degeneration?

Keeping an eye on Macular DegenerationNutritional therapy and lifestyle changes have proven to be extremely valuable at helping to prevent the dry form of Macular Degeneration from progressing to more advanced stages. I have personally seen thousands of patients with Macular Degeneration in clinical practice for over 15 years. I have seen the positive benefits that patients can realistically obtain thru nutritional therapy and lifestyle changes. Many patients have been referred to our centers in Florida for low vision rehabilitation with almost no hope, and have decreased their dependence on low vision devices thru proper nutritional guidance and lifestyle adjustments. The handpicked team of Doctors at the Lange Eye Care and Associates locations and The Lange Eye Institute in central and north central Florida has extensively used proper diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes to benefit the patient with Macular Degeneration. We have seen some incredible improvements in vision as well as overall health in these patients. It is a normal part of our comprehensive examination to discuss and educate these options with each patient. I will go over a list of things that we discuss with our patients that have been found to help any of several forms of Macular Degeneration. This list was compiled based on solid scientific evidence reported in related literature and from positive results we have seen clinically in a very large Macular Degeneration practice.

1. Eat wild Alaskan salmon for healthFollow a low fat diet (decrease saturated fats and trans fatty acids) eat more chicken, turkey, cold water fish and soy products like Gardenburgers (a popular vegetarian meat substitute, highly recommended), and tofu. Eat less red meat, whole milk and cheese. Eat the breast meat of chicken and turkey from free roaming organically raised sources (if possible), and prepare without deep frying—broiling, boiling or baking is healthier. Be careful when eating fish because many large fish have toxic levels of mercury, lead and PCBs (PCBs are persistent organic pollutants, banned since 1977, that entered the environment through both original use and later disposal). Eat small fish like sardines, anchovies and herring. Try to avoid farm raised fish and eat wild fish especially wild Alaskan salmon.

2. Spinach is a dark green leafy vegetableConsume more dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards, and kale (preferably organically grown). Carefully steam, boil or simmer these in olive oil. Gentle cooking helps to break down the cell wall releasing the bioavailability of the greens. Juicing is also a good way of getting these nutrients. Lutein is abundant in dark green leafy vegetables and has been shown to potentially help slow down the devastating properties of Macular Degeneration. If you are taking a blood thinner like Coumadin consult with your physician prior to consuming more dark green leafy vegetables.

3. Orange bell peppers are high in zeaxanthinEat more orange bell peppers (preferably organically grown), gently cooked or raw. Orange bell peppers are very high in Zeaxanthin. Scientists believe this nutrient when combined with Lutein helps filter out dangerous HEV light (blue light) and may help maintain macular health. Sautee orange peppers and spinach together for good macular health.

4. Blackberries for macular functioningConsume more darkly pigmented berries (preferably organically grown). Studies indicate that eating more dark berries like blueberries and black berries may help preserve macular functioning. If you are a diabetic consult with your physician prior to eating more fruits.

5. Increase intake of omega 3 fatty acids by taking micro distilled fish oil. Due to the large amount of contaminants in fish, micro or molecularly distilled fish oil may be a better option than eating the fish.

6. Decrease intake of salt. New studies may indicate that decreasing salt intake may decrease deposits of waste products called drusen in Macular Degeneration.

7. Wear blue blocking sunglasses especially if you have had cataract surgery. There is some strong science that indicates blocking the high energy visible spectrum (400nm-500nm), the "blue light", may help prevent damage to the macula, the area of the eye that is responsible for central vision. Yellow, amber and orange colored lenses are good at blocking the blue light. Wear them anytime you are outdoors during daylight. I recommend polarized blue blockers while in the sun. Non-polarized lenses are better while indoors or on cloudy and overcast days.

8. No smoking!NO SMOKING! If you do smoke try to quit. Smoking lowers your serum antioxidant levels in your blood and thus causes a nutritional deficiency at the cellular level. Second hand smoke is just as bad. Smokers increase their risk dramatically of developing the more advanced stages of Macular Degeneration. If you smoke be sure you do NOT take high levels of the supplement called beta carotene.

9. Do cardiovascular exercises 20-30 minutes 5 times a week (discuss this with your physician first). Studies indicate that patients that did cardiovascular exercise (treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, walking, jogging, swimming etc.) were less likely to develop Macular Degeneration.

10. If you are overweight, LOSE WEIGHT! Overweight people are twice as likely to develop Macular Degeneration.

11. Control systemic health problems such as High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and elevated Cholesterol.

Choose red wine for eye health12. Choose red wine and green tea! A new body of science may indicate that drinking red wine in moderation, sipping green tea, eating more soy products and cooking with curry may have some positive impact on Macular Degeneration, cataracts and inflammatory diseases in the eye.

13. Take a good nutritional supplement based on the latest scientific data, preferably one that does not have any artificial dyes and synthetic nutrients. Be careful of supplements that have only "window dressing" amounts of specific nutrients. Many vitamin companies will add tiny amounts of popular nutrients just to be able to put it on the label. These small amounts may have no nutritional value. Patients must also be extremely careful not to take too many supplements as well. Vitamins can build up toxic levels, especially the fat soluble forms. The leading company that takes all of the current science into consideration in the development of their supplements is
Fortifeye Complete | Click To OrderFortifeye® Vitamins. These products are all natural with no dyes. They provide therapeutic levels of nutrients and no window dressing. The Fortifeye Vitamins mission is stated as promoting proper vision and whole body health with the right ingredients at the right levels. I recommend to all of my patients the multivitamin Fortifeye™ Complete which is a combination of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, enzymes, whole foods and omega 3 essential fatty acids designed to lay a strong foundation for eye and total body health. If the patient has Macular Degeneration, I recommend taking one pill from the Fortifeye Macular DefenseFortifeye™ Macular Defense formula in addition to Fortifeye™ Complete. This is a nutritional system when the two are combined to help prevent any further vision loss from Macular Degeneration. I have seen many patients in my clinical practice improve, some quite dramatically while taking these supplements. Many doctors throughout the country are now recommending Fortifeye™ Complete and Fortifeye™ Macular Defense to their patients with Macular Degeneration. We trust the good people at Fortifeye to stay abreast of the most current science in regards to nutritional supplementation for the eye and body. Fortifeye vitamins for Macular Degeneration and total body health are constantly evolving.

Michael P. Lange, O.D.
 
Dr. Michael P. Lange
Board Certified Optometric Physician
 

So you can see, it is a rather lengthy and detailed process when helping these patients to overcome Macular Degeneration. If patients would only do these 13 things religiously I feel we would see much less vision loss from Macular Degeneration and have a much healthier society. Remember there is no miracle cure for Macular Degeneration. However if you implement the 13 steps I outlined, you will decrease your risk of going blind from Macular Degeneration. I see the benefits patients receive daily in our clinical practice.

Dr. Michael P. Lange
Board Certified Optometric Physician

Lange Eye Care and Associates
The Lange Eye Institute
(Located in Central/North Central Florida)
www.LangeEyeCare.com
May 9, 2007


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