Celery Seed Extract for Protection Against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease?

Background An accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain is one of the hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid is a general term for protein fragments that the body produces normally. Beta-amyloid is a fragment snipped from an amyloid precursor protein (APP)....

Artificial Butter Flavor Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disorder associated with progressive deterioration of memory and cognition. In the United States, Alzheimer prevalence is now estimated to affect about 20% of individuals in the 75-84 years group and 42%...

Disrupted Sleep Could Be Early Sign Of Alzheimer’s

Introduction Poor sleep quality and use of sedative hypnotic drugs (sleeping pills) is associated with a significant risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Use of these drugs was associated with a whopping 230% increase over an eight-year period in a study in France while in a...

Fish Oils Prevent Brain Atrophy Due to Aging

Introduction A key goal to boosting brain function and fighting degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease is to bathe the brain in “super nutrition.” Numerous studies have shown that brain function is directly related to nutritional status. High...

Popular Drugs, Including Benadryl, Linked to Dementia Even at Low Dosage

Introduction: A new study out of the University of Washington provides the strong evidence that certain popular drugs may increase the risk for dementia in older adults. The drugs share some common mechanisms within key areas of the brain, but are used primarily as...

New Study Adds to the Evidence that Alzheimer’s Disease is “Diabetes of the Brain”

Introduction: The parallel epidemics of Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes share many common features. Chief among them are insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. In fact, some researchers have referred to Alzheimer’s disease as diabetes of the brain and...
[wp_cpl_sc cat_id=15 list_num=210 css_theme=1 is_thumb=”true” show_date=”false” show_author=”false” show_comments=”false” sort_using=1 sort_order=”desc”]

Get The Longevity Matrix

March is National Vision Awareness Month

Five key nutrients for preventing and treating cataracts and macular degeneration
eyeball

Nutritional factors play a key role in the prevention and treatment of cataracts and macular degeneration. A diet high in richly colored fruits and vegetables—as well as targeted supplements—is associated with a lowered risk for both conditions.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Research shows that lutein and zeaxanthin supplements not only help protect against macular degeneration, but can also improve visual function in people with macular degeneration. Specifically, in patients with macular degeneration, 10–15 mg of lutein daily led to improvements, including glare recovery, contrast sensitivity, and visual acuity, as compared to a placebo group.

Lutein is also important in preventing cataracts and improving visual function in people with existing cataracts. Like the macula, the human lens concentrates lutein and zeaxanthin. In fact, these are the only carotenes found in the human lens. Three large studies have shown that the intake of lutein was inversely associated with cataract surgery.

Flavonoid-Rich Extracts

Flavonoid-rich extracts of blueberry, bilberry, pine bark, or grape seed also offer valuable eye-health benefits. In addition to possessing excellent antioxidant activity, these extracts have been shown to improve blood flow to the retina and enhance visual processes, especially poor night vision. Take 150–300 mg daily of one of these extracts to support eye health.

Nutritional Antioxidants

Nutritional antioxidants—such as beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, and selenium—are extremely important for eye health. Studies conducted by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group confirm that a combination of these nutrients produces better results than any single one alone. But even something as simple as taking vitamin C or zinc can produce dramatic effects. In one study, women who took vitamin C for more than 10 years had a 77 percent lower rate of cataract formation compared to women who did not take the vitamin.

Zinc plays an essential role in the metabolism of the retina and the visual process. A two-year trial involving 151 subjects showed that the group taking zinc had significantly less visual loss than the placebo group.

CoQ10 and Acetyl-L-Carnitine

In one double-blind study, 200 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine, omega-3 fatty acids (460 mg EPA and 320 mg DHA), and 20 mg of CoQ10 was shown to improve visual function and macular alterations in early-stage macular degeneration. This combination stopped the disease from progressing in 47 out of 48 cases.

Fish Oils

There is a strong relationship between atherosclerosis (known as hardening of the arteries) and eye health. Therefore, just as in atherosclerosis, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils play an important role in preventing macular degeneration and other eye conditions. The recommended dosage is 1,000 mg of EPA and DHA.

Nutrition for Your Eyes

Foods rich in the carotenes lycopene, zeaxanthin, and lutein include bell peppers, carrots, collard greens, kale, papaya, spinach, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.


For more information, please see the completely revised and updated 3rd edition of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.

On the Dr Oz show

DrOz-Sho569

On the show I discussed the failure of conventional medicine to address the underlying issues in many health conditions offering little more than drugs as biochemical “band aids.”

Sign-up for my Weekly Newsletter

Signup For Our Weekly Newsletter

These are critical times in our quest for good / safe health practices...

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and articles from Doctor Murray

You have Successfully Subscribed!