The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) already supports the assertion that omega-3 in the form of ALA aids cognitive and eye function and may soon be extending this designation to DHA.  Products will be able to make this claim on their packaging.
Source: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation/EC-considers-extending-ALA-claim-to-DHA?utm_source=RSS_text_news

DHA has been documented to help those who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa.  Click here for more information.

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Results from a new clinical trial suggest that lutein and vitamin A supplements helps preserve mid-peripheral vision in RP.

The researchers conclude that their data support the use of 12 mg/d of lutein to slow visual field loss among nonsmoking adults with retinitis pigmentosa taking vitamin A.

Based on the randomized comparison, the authors estimate that the benefit in preserving mid-peripheral field sensitivity would be an additional 3 years. Based on macular pigment optical density (MPOD) observational results, they estimate that the benefit would be 10 additional years.

Berson EL, et al. Clinical trial of lutein in patients with retinitis pigmentosa receiving vitamin A. Arch Ophthalmol 128:403-11, 2010.

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Scientists through the US Department of Energy are testing artificial retinas that they hope can restore partial sight to people who’ve lost their vision to the most common causes of blindness. The implants are intended to restore enough sight to those who suffer from such eye diseases age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa to allow them to recognize objects and navigate through their environment. For more information visit: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/study.asp?s_num=249.

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A daily supplement of lutein in combination with vitamin A may slow vision loss
associated with retinitis pigmentosa, according to the results of a randomized,
controlled, double-blind trial.

Writing in the Archives of Ophthalmology, American scientists report that a daily
supplement containing 12 milligrams of lutein in combination with 15,000 International
Units of vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) was associated with a preservation of
mid-peripheral vision.

The new data indicates that 40 year olds with the condition who take the vitamin A
plus lutein combination would not be expected to lose their mid-peripheral field until
the age of 61, which would represent a significant improvement compared with only 51
in people not taking supplements of the carotenoid.

revious studies had found that taking vitamin A slows the decline in retinal function
and vision loss.

No toxicity concerns were recorded during the study, and the researchers noted that
only non-smokers took part in their study. Berson and his co-workers stated that there
has been concern for smokers taking long-term lutein supplementation.

Source: Archives of Ophthalmology
2010, Vol. 128, Issue 4, Pages 403-411
“Clinical Trial of Lutein in Patients With Retinitis Pigmentosa Receiving Vitamin A”
Authors: E.L. Berson, B. Rosner, M.A. Sandberg, C. Weigel-DiFranco, R.J. Brockhurst,
et al.

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Scientists at MIT and other research organizations are testing chip technologies that could help bring eyesight to individuals with conditions like age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

Microchips place onto or inside the eyeball are assisted by a pair of electronic glasses the patient wears. Results vary, but many subjects report significant improvement in orientation and mobility. MIT hopes to have a device within two years so that they can get FDA approval from for use on chronic patients.

See information on macular degeneration, nutrition and health.

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The restoration process starts with an image captured by a small camera attached to a pair of glasses. After streaming through a video processor, the data is then transferred back through the glasses to a tiny electrode “sheet” implanted on the retina. These electrodes use electrical impulses to communicate visual information to undamaged retinal tissue (just as healthy rods and cones would have done). The result is some degree of sight.

Currently the devices have only 60 electrodes, compared to more than 2 million in HD televisions, so images are still rough. Researchers from Second Sight will follow project participants for the next three years to track progress. They hope to develop versions with 200 and 1000 electrodes in the future.

Editor’s Notes: Certain nutrients have been researched as helping to preserve vision for those with Retinitis Pigmentosa. For more information, go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/diseases.asp?d_num=12

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MIT engineers have designed a retinal implant for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness.

The retinal prosthesis would help restore some vision by electrically stimulating the nerve cells that normally carry visual input from the retina to the brain.

The chip would not restore normal vision but could help blind people more easily navigate a room or walk down a sidewalk. “Anything that could help them see a little better and let them identify objects and move around a room would be an enormous help,” says Shawn Kelly, a researcher in MIT’s Research Laboratory for Electronics and member of the Boston Retinal Implant Project.

Patients who received the implant would wear a pair of glasses with a camera that sends images to a microchip attached to the eyeball. The glasses also contain a coil that wirelessly transmits power to receiving coils surrounding the eyeball. When the microchip receives visual information, it activates electrodes that stimulate nerve cells in the areas of the retina corresponding to the features of the visual scene. The electrodes directly activate optical nerves that carry signals to the brain, bypassing the damaged layers of retina.

The research team, led by John Wyatt, MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science, recently reported a new prototype that they hope to start testing in blind patients within the next three years, after some safety refinements are made. Once human trials begin and blind patients can offer feedback on what they’re seeing, the researchers will learn much more about how to configure the algorithm implemented by the chip to produce useful vision.

Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
See more information on the latest research on nutrition and vision.

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