There are numerous NEI studies to suggest a strong collation between a healthy diet and healthy vision. Antioxidants and fatty acids are an important staple to a healthy vision diet. However, it is important to realize that there is no vitamin or diet "cure" for many of the eye diseases that plague Americans today. Instead, taking specific vitamins and eating certain foods can reduce, sometimes dramatically, the risk or progression of an eye disease. It is this "preventative" approach to eye care that will impact you most as you age.
For example, in October 2001, the NEI published the results of a seven-year study – called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) – that showed that a high-dose combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc significantly reduces the risk of developing advanced stages of AMD by about 25 percent. These high levels of antioxidants and zinc are the first effective treatment to slow the progression of AMD. The nutrients are not a cure for AMD, nor will they restore vision already lost from the disease. But they are playing a vital role in helping people at high risk for developing advanced AMD keep their vision. In the same study, the antioxidant and zinc combination showed no significant effect on the development or progression of cataract.
To better understand the results of scientific studies conducted thus far on vitamins, along with the foods that contain these eye-healthy nutrients, please click on the appropriate links below. If you wish to purchase any of the vitamins or herbal products mentioned in these articles, VisiVite can save you as much as 30-50% off retail rates.
