Preventing Eye Disease
Here's our 1-2-3 vision wellness protocol
Also see discussion and protocol for specific eye diseases and other health conditions as well as research for specific diseases.
- Important diet and nutrition recommendations
The typical Western diet, with refined grains, too many sugars and processed foods and poor oils is an inflammatory diet, contributing to or ultimately causing chronic inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and eye issues. The high inflammation level in the body is reported to be an important factor in premature mortality.1 Diets rich in fruits and vegetables as well as being low in refined carbohydrates, along with targeted supplementation of antioxidants helps keep one's body and eyes healthy and free of disease.
- Maintain a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains. We recommend the Mediterranean diet.
- Go organic - know what you are putting into your body
- Limit refined products - lessen the amount of sugar (particularly white or refined sugar), and refined carbohydrates. Try stevia as a sweetener rather than sugar. It is far more concentrated so you only need a small amount.
- Whole grains - likewise, eat whole grains rather than refined white flour, rice, etc.
- Avoid aspartame (foods labeled "diet")
- Avoid man-made fats (corn oil and safflower oil, trans fats, and hydrogenated vegetable oils including canola oil).
- Limit alcohol consumption to one glass of red wine daily. Alcohol helps reduce protective glutathione levels because it interferes with liver functioning.
- Cut down on caffeine, coffee, and soft drinks Watch your intake of soft drinks (3 tablespoons of sugar per can!) and processed foods that contain sugar. Sugary sodas are linked to a 23% greater risk of heart failure.
- Avoid monosodium glutanate (MSG), which is used as a flavor enhancer, because it is a potential retinal toxin (Inv Oph 1996; 37: 1618-24)
- Avoid fat blockers like Olestra which impair the absorption of carotenoids (Argus, August 1996;19:18:July 1996;19:22).
- Slow down on the fast foods and fried foods.
- Read the labels when you buy processed foods - avoid artificial sweeteners, flavorings and colorings. Avoid hydrogenated and transfatty acid containing foods which disrupt the digestive process.
- Avoid hydrogenated oils or transfatty acids like those found in margarine, as well as saturated fats
- Important lifestyle recommendations:
- Wear wrap-around sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB protection whenever outside in the sun. The best lens color is amber, which neutralizes blue light. Brown is the next best color. Note: Cheaper glasses may have a coating to block out UV light that can rub off overtime. Many people think it is the tint that helps protect one's eyes, but it is actually the UV filter on, or in, the lens. So, if the filtering coating wears off, a dark lens actually increases pupil dilation, allowing more light to enter the eyes.
- Eliminate smoking. Smoking produces cyanide, a retinal toxin. A 2005 review of 17 research studies determined that the risk of macular degeneration in smokers is two to three times higher than in non-smokers. A 2015 study again looked at this issue, this time investigating specific damage to the macula as a result of smoking and finding significant damage to many tissue layers of the macula.
- Limit the amount of medications. Talk to your doctor or get a second opinion to make sure that you are not taking more (both prescription and non-prescription) medications than you really need and that your medications do not conflict.
- Exercise every day. Get at 20 minutes of aerobic exercise daily by walking, swimming, or other sports or activities that you enjoy.
- Avoid microwaves. Leakage from microwave ovens are a direct cause of cataracts, so avoid peeking into the oven door window while you cook. In addition, food proteins exposed to microwaves can become toxic to the lens, which is made up mostly of proteins.
- Manage your mental health. Emotional well-being is very important to good physical health.
Fear, anger, stress, etc, are important factors in many diseases. You can help balance your emotions through
meditation, prayer, exercise, martial arts, etc.
A 2012 U. California study found that 12 minutes of yoga daily brought about measurable changes in 68 genes, resulting not only in reduced stress, but reduced inflammation - an issue in diabetic retinopathy, optic neuritis, macular edema, heart disease, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes.
- Daily Activity
- The single-most important thing you can do for vision health and overall health is to stay active. A sedentary lifestyle is the worst possible activity-type for your health. Researchers found that regular exercise rivals or surpasses medications for many conditions and should be considered an important part of medical prescriptions.
- New research points out that exercise is more important than diet in controlling your weight - and appropriate weight is a key factor for a healthy life.
- Research has shown that simple exercise is linked directly to a healthy retina.
- Eye exercise supports healthy vision.
- Products in our Prevention Protocol:
- Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula - is a complete truly whole food eye formula formulated for maximum absorption and eye support, and includes essential nutrients for vision health. All vegetarian including the capsules.
- BioMax Food III - The perfect complement to Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye and Vision Support Formula, BioMax Food III is a whole food compound multivitamin made from organic botanicals and food designed to promote long-term health and well-being.
- Premium Krill Complex Formula - Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) are essential for healthy vision and also improves circulation, strengthens the integrity of blood vessels, improves brain function, and is an excellent natural anti-inflammatory for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Krill eats algae is at the bottom the food chain so it does not accumulate heavy metals like mercury. This formula also includes astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant important for good vision.
- For vegetarians, consider Vegan DHA (DHA omega-3 fatty acids from algae).
- Vitamin D3 which supports vision health, cardiovascular health,
the immune system, the skeletal system and mental functioning.
- Nano Greens - is a great tasting greens food made with organic ingredients, and with the principles of wholesome nutrition in mind. It contains cleansing, regenerative and alkalinizing grass juices, algae, enzymes, probiotics, and is combined with high ORAC value vegetables, fruits and berries.
- Eye Exercise and Qigong DVD for Eye Health - Eye Exercise and Qigong DVD for Eye Health by Dr. Marc Grossman and Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac. with over 42 minutes of great, clearly demonstrated exercises you can do daily at home both to help maintain and preserve healthy vision. Recommended for anyone interested in natural approaches to preserving healthy vision whether one just notices their vision is naturally worsening due to age or excessive near-work such as spending many hours on the computer, or if one has a particular eye condition.
- Yoga & Vision Improvement DVD - Combining the Ancient Art of Yoga with Modern Eye Exercises. Created by Behavioral Optometrist Dr. Marc Grossman, OD, L.Ac., and Yoga Expert Danial Orlansky.
- Exercise your eyes! Use both your near and far vision. Get our free eye exercises.
- For in-depth knowledge, get our newly revised Natural Eye Care: Your Guide to Vision Health and Healing.
Footnotes
1. L. Graffouillere, et al, Prospective association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and mortality: modulation by antioxidant supplementation in the SU.VI.MAX randomized controlled trial, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March, 2016.