06/02/2008 - Supplements of antioxidants and carotenoids may improve retinal health in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), suggesting a role beyond prevention, suggests a new study from Italy.
A combination of vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein, zeaxanthin, and astaxanthin was found to improve the function of the central retina among 27 people with non-advanced AMD, scientists report in the journal Ophthalmology.
"Because of the small number of patients enrolled, the present trial can be considered a pilot study and caution must be taken against drawing general conclusions," wrote lead author Vincenzo Parisi. "It is necessary to confirm our findings in a larger population and with long-term follow-up."
AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 55 years of age in the Western world, according to AMD Alliance International.
Despite the fact that approximately 25 to 30 million people worldwide are affected by AMD, awareness of the condition is low, according to AMD Alliance International. And as the generation of Baby Boomers gets older, the Alliance expects incidence to be on the rise and triple by 2025.
AMD is a degenerative retinal disease that causes central vision loss and leaves only peripheral vision. Early detection is cited as a means of prevention so that treatment or rehabilitation can be undertaken early enough. However, links to diet have also been underscored.
Parisi, from the Fondazione G. B. Bietti-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico in Rome and co-workers from the University of Padova, recruited 27 people with non-advanced AMD (average age 69.6) and randomly assigned them to receive daily antioxidant supplements (15 subjects) or placebo (12 subjects) for 12 months.
The daily antioxidant and carotenoid supplements provided 180 mg vitamin C, 30 mg vitamin E, 22.5 mg zinc, 1 mg copper, 10 mg lutein, 1 mg zeaxanthin, and 4 mg astaxanthin (AZYR SIFI, Catania, Italy).
The researchers report that people in the antioxidant/ carotenoid supplement group showed improvements in the function of the central retina (zero to five degrees), while no improvements were observed in the peripheral retina (five to 20 degrees).
"In non-advanced AMD eyes, a selective dysfunction in the central retina can be improved by the supplementation with carotenoids and antioxidants," stated the researchers.
They added that it would be useful to obtain multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) recordings after a period of suspension of the antioxidant supplements in order to investigate if the improvements were supplement dependent.
"Nevertheless, considering the beneficial functional effects of antioxidant supplementation, the suspension of supplementation with consequent exposure of the AMD patient to a possible decrease in macular function could represent an ethical problem," they added.
Previous studies have reported a link between AMD and lutein and zeaxanthin, found in leafy green vegetables, corn, egg yolks, squash, broccoli and peas. The carotenoids supposedly reduce the risk of AMD by absorbing blue light that could damage the macula, preventing free radicals from damaging eye cells and strengthening eye cell membranes.
Harry, this is from your article above:
The daily antioxidant and carotenoid supplements provided 180 mg vitamin C, 30 mg vitamin E, 22.5 mg zinc, 1 mg copper, 10 mg lutein, 1 mg zeaxanthin, and 4 mg astaxanthin (AZYR SIFI, Catania, Italy).
I gotta say, with perhaps the exception of copper, all the above vitamins/supplements are too weak to have any effect. There is no potency.
Vitamin C should be 6000mg per day in divided doses.
Vitamin E should be 400 I.U.(natural source) a.m. and 400 I.U. mixed tocopherols p.m.
Both Lutein and Astaxanthin must be at least 18 mg per day to be beneficial.
Zinc should be 50 mg per day.
Zeaxanthin, the SUPERSTAR for the eyes, should be 10 mg per day.
* That would make a difference.
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The relevant point, from my perspective, is that even with these (rather modest) dosages ... they did find an effect. Higher dosages may be more beneficial. I've seen some research that supports that (school of thought). And, I'd welcome more of it in the future.
Most of the dosages you suggest seem reasonable with the exception of astaxanthin. The dosage typically used in the research I've seen doesn't exceed 10 mg. I doubt that higher dosages would do much harm except to one's wallet.
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AGE-RELATED MACULOPATHY, VISION, EYESIGHT, OXIDATIVE STRESS
In a study involving 828 healthy subjects between the ages of 20 and 60 years, various risk factors for age-related maculopathy were found to be associated with low dietary intakes of various antioxidants. The authors of this study set out to determine if the risk factors for age-related maculopathy, such as increasing age and tobacco use, and the putative risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and being of the female sex, were linked to a dietary lack of antioxidants that have been previously shown to benefit retinal health. The most significant finding was the association between increasing age and a relative lack of dietary zeaxanthin. Additional associations were found as well. Tobacco use was associated with a relative lack of dietary vitamin C, alcohol consumption was associated with a relative lack of dietary alpha-linoleic acid, and being of the female sex was associated with a relative lack of zinc. The authors state, "We showed that several variables related to risk of ARM are associated with a relative dietary lack of key nutrients, which may protect against this condition. Indeed, it is biologically plausible that the risk that these variables represent for ARM may reflect, at least in part, an associated and parallel dietary lack of key nutrients (e.g., age and dietary intake of zeaxanthin)." To determine the effects of zeaxanthin supplementation in such a population, additional research is needed. https://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/37193
This report is old news to most members here. I've mentioned before about my mom reversing her ARM by heavy supplementation of lutein plus vitamins. That was 13 or 14 years ago at age 75. Today at age 89, her vision is still good and she continues to drive a little. A few years after she started on the lutein, she switched to a lutein/zeaxanthin combo.
This weekend she suffered a bad fall, tripping and falling backwards on a concrete patio, landing flat on her back. Amazingly, she suffered no serious injury.
Thanks to pinballdoctor, I'll be switching her to Dr Null's eye supplement.
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For now we see through a glass, darkly.... 1st Corinthians 13:12
Related topics: Research, Vitamins & premixes, Eye health, Women's health A combination of folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration in women by 34 per cent, says a new study.
In addition, the combined B vitamin supplements were associated with a 41 per cent reduced risk of visually significant AMD, according to findings of a randomised, double-blind clinical trial involving 5,442 women age 40 and older.
The researchers, led by William Christen from the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, published their findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Despite the fact that approximately 25 to 30 million people worldwide are affected by AMD, awareness of the condition is low, according to AMD Alliance International. And as the generation of Baby Boomers gets older, the Alliance expects incidence to be on the rise and triple by 2025.
AMD is a degenerative retinal disease that causes central vision loss and leaves only peripheral vision. Early detection is cited as a means of prevention so that treatment or rehabilitation can be undertaken early enough. However, links to diet have also been underscored. Study details
Building on the findings of recent studies that reported a correlation between AMD and blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, linked to dysfunction of the blood vessel lining. Added to this are observations that supplementation with vitamins B6 and B12, and folic acid may reduce homocysteine levels and reverse this blood vessel dysfunction.
Christen and his co-workers recruited women with heart disease or at least three risk factors for the disease. Of these, 96 per cent of the women did not have AMD at the start of the study. The women were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or a combination of folic acid (2.5 mg per day), vitamin B6 (50 mg per day) and vitamin B12 (1 mg per day).
Over the course of 7.3 years of intervention and follow-up, the researchers documents 137 new cases of AMD, of which 70 cases were visually significant.
The combined B vitamin supplement was associated with a 34 per cent lower risk of any AMD and a 41 per cent lower risk of visually significant AMD, said the researchers. . "The beneficial effect of treatment began to emerge at approximately two years of follow-up and persisted throughout the trial," wrote the authors.
"The trial findings reported herein are the strongest evidence to date in support of a possible beneficial effect of folic acid and B vitamin supplements in AMD prevention," they added.
Importantly, the researchers added that, because the results apply to the early stages of disease development, they appear to represent the first identified, besides smoking, to reduce the risk of AMD in individuals at an average risk. "From a public health perspective, this is particularly important because persons with early AMD are at increased risk of developing advanced AMD, the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in older Americans," they said.
Commenting on the potential mechanism, Christen and his co-workers note that, beyond lowering homocysteine levels, other modes of action include antioxidant effects and improved function of blood vessels in the eye. Prevention is key
The results were welcomed by Andrew Shao, PhD, vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a supplements trade association, who called the results very promising. �Currently, there are very few treatment options available for AMD, so prevention is key,� said Dr Shao. �The results of this study suggest that B vitamins could be combined with other supplemental nutrients including the antioxidants, vitamins C and E and carotenoids beta-carotene and lutein, which have also been shown to lower the risk of AMD. �These supplements in turn, can be added to other preventive measures, including avoiding smoking and excessive sun exposure to provide even further protection.�
Source: Archives in Internal Medicine
2009, Volume 169, Issue 4, Pages 335-341 �Folic Acid, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin Combination Treatment and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women: The Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study�
My mum did try all kinds of different things, but finelly she is on vision supplements - SAfe2C. I`m not the one with the eye problems, but she claims it helped her to improve sights.
I`m trying to find someone hwo can help me find something even better, then that. Mayby ther is something that works faster?
I think Bright Eyes III from Life Extension Foundation could be of benefit also. the in it has N-acetylcarnosine which has a positive effect on maintaining healthy eye structure.
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Supplements May Improve AMD
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