By Tracey Karele – AIM Nutritionist
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a serious, currently incurable disease and is one of the leading causes of vision loss among people aged 65 and older. The fact that AMD is virtually untreatable makes the prevention of this condition all the more important. Nutrition has been hailed as a promising means of protecting the eyes from AMD and delaying the progression of this disease.
What is AMD?
AMD occurs when the fragile centre of the retina (called the macula) deteriorates. The macula is the small area of the retina that is responsible for central vision and high visual acuity or sharpness. The macula is very important for seeing in detail, seeing in colour and seeing things that are directly in front of you.
Although AMD does not lead to total loss of sight and is not painful, it causes serious problems with central vision. This is the vision you use when you’re looking directly at something, for example when you’re reading, watching television or even driving. AMD makes your central vision progressively more distorted or blurry and, over a period of time, it may even cause a blank patch in the centre of your vision.
What AMD looks like as it progresses:
AMD symptoms can vary from person to person, but usually the initial problems involve the ability to see detail. People report problems with reading small print, and often mention a slight smudge or a small blurred area in the centre of their field of vision. Straight lines also often appear distorted or wavy. You should have your eyes tested by an optometrist if you notice any of these symptoms. He or she will examine your eyes and if they detect any changes to the macula or any cause for concern, they should then refer you to an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor) for further treatment.
There are two types of macular degeneration: atrophic (or “dry”) and exudative (or “wet”). With the latter type of AMD, the degeneration of the macula is accompanied by the haemorrhaging of the tiny blood vessels under the centre of the retina. This results in scarring and further vision loss.
There are several uncontrollable risk factors that may increase your risk of developing AMD. These include age, family history and light coloured eyes, skin and hair. Some studies suggest that women may be at a slightly higher risk for AMD than men.
The antioxidant link
The retina is highly susceptible to oxidative stress and there is mounting evidence that points to free radical damage as the cause of macular degeneration. Researchers have reported a 43% reduced incidence of macular degeneration in those consuming diets high in carotenoids (a carotenoid is an organic pigment and an antioxidant). These carotenoids have the ability to filter out damaging light rays before they can harm the macula.
Certain nutrients, such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and zinc have been found to protect the eyes against AMD and subsequent vision loss. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants and are in fact the only carotenoids located inside the human eye. Lutein and its related compound zeaxanthin are highly concentrated in the macula in particular. It is believed that this concentration of lutein helps to protect the macula from oxidative stress and high-energy light.
Various research studies have shown that a direct relationship exists between lutein intake and pigmentation in the eye. Several studies also show that an increase in macular pigmentation decreases the risk for eye diseases such as AMD. So essentially, the more lutein you ingest, the more pigmentation occurs in the eye. The more pigmentation, the lower your chances of eye diseases like AMD.
Lutein also filters blue wavelengths from the visible-light spectrum by as much as 90%. Blue light coming from both artificial light and sunlight is believed to induce oxidative stress and possible free-radical damage to both the eyes and the skin.
Prevention is the only option
Research shows that there are preventative actions that we can take in order to minimise the risk of AMD. These include not smoking, reducing exposure to sunlight by wearing UVB/UVA protective eyewear and hats, lowering cholesterol levels and eating a healthy diet.
AIM’s LeafGreens is an antioxidant-rich blend of barley, spinach, field pea & faba bean leaves with broccoli sprouts. The spinach leaf in LeafGreens is particularly significant in that it contains nearly 5 mg of lutein per serving, making it an excellent food supplement for visual health.
GinkgoSense is another supplement which is useful in maintaining and preserving eyesight. One serving (1 capsule) of GinkgoSense contains 400 mcg lutein and 18 mcg zeaxanthin. Both the lutein and zeaxanthin found in AIM’s GinkgoSense comes from the extract of marigold petals.
Although ginkgo is beneficial to those with dry macular degeneration, it can be contraindicative to those with wet macular degeneration. (Only about 10% of patients who suffer from macular degeneration have wet AMD.)
AIM AMD Testimonial:
Cindy Faull and her husband Gus are from Cape Town and have been AIM members since 2003. Cindy recently shared their amazing story with me:
“In 1999, my husband Gus went to an optometrist for a routine checkup. The optometrist suspected that Gus had AMD in his left eye and sent him to a specialist who later confirmed this diagnosis. The doctor prescribed medicine, which Gus stopped taking after a short while. A few years later we joined AIM, and Gus began taking GinkgoSense and BarleyLife. After about a year on the AIM products, Gus went back to the same optometrist for a checkup. After checking his eyes and double checking his file, the optometrist looked a little confused and asked, “But didn’t you have AMD?” My husband answered that indeed he did, and that it had been confirmed by a specialist. To which the optometrist replied, “Well you don’t have it anymore!” To this day Gus still takes no chronic medication and there is no sign of the AMD.”