Vision Nutrients cross references to specific diseases

by:Natural Eye Care

Here is an outline of vision nutrients with cross references to specific diseases and recommended products.
Amino Acids

Cysteine – is important for a healthy retina. Taken as N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), it increases production of gluatathione, one of the most important antioxidants in the eye.

* Food Sources: Eggs.
* Other sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 500-1000 mg in the form of N-acetyl cysteine daily.
* Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma, Cataracts
* Recommended Products: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, Pure Focus

Taurine – normally found in high concentrations in the retina, it is important to for the maintenance of vision and the regeneration of worn out tissues of the visual system.

* Food Sources: Eggs, fish.
* Other sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 500 daily.
* Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma
* Recommended Product(s): Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, Liquid Taurine

Bioflavonoids

Bioflavonoids are neither vitamins or minerals, but plant pigments that protect the eyes from sunlight damage, and are powerful antioxidants that my enhance blood flow to the retina while fighting free radical damage.

Quercitin, Rutin - quercitin has properties similar to melanin, and protects the eye from damage by solar radiation and works synergistically with taurine and vitamin E. Rutin has been shown to reduce leakage from small blood vessels in the retina. It is valuable in fighting free radicals.

* Food Sources: Cherries, white grapefruit, apples, pears, grapes, cranberries, red onions, green cabbage, spinach, kale, onions, garlic.
* Other sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 1000 mg of quercetin daily, 300 mg rutin daily.
* Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy , Cataracts
* Recommended Products: Optic Nerve Formula , Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula

Carotenoids

Carotenoids are organic pigments that are naturally occurring in plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some types of fungus and some bacteria. There are over 600 known carotenoids; they are split into two classes, xanthophylls and carotenes. They are potent antioxidants and play a protective role in preventing many eye conditions.

Bilberry – is the European version of the blueberry, and has been called the vision herb for its powerful effect on all types visual disorders.

* Food Sources: Huckleberry
* Recommended Dose: 240-300 mg daily.
* Eye Conditions: Poor Night Vision, Glaucoma, Myopia , Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retinopathy , Cataracts , Computer Eye Syndrome
* Recommended Products: Pure Focus, Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula

Lutein – is the yellow pigment found in the macula. It protects against macular degeneration, and protects the rods and cones from free radical damage from UV light.

* Food Sources: corn, spinach, kale, collard and mustard greens, lettuce and other salad greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, corn and eggs.
* Recommended Dose: 6-20 mg daily
* Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Cataracts
* Recommended Products: Pure Focus, Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula

Zeaxanthin – is found in high amounts in the macula. It protects against macular degeneration, and protects the rods and cones from free radical damage from UV light.

* Food Sources: corn, spinach, kale, collard and mustard greens, lettuce and other salad greens, broccoli, oranges, tangerines and peas.
* Recommended Dose: 3 mg daily for prevention, and up to 20 mg per day therapeutically.
* Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration and other macula disorders

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

Omega 3 Fatty Acids - fats are essential for nerve conduction in the retina and to reduce cholesterol.

* Food Sources: Cold water fish (including salmon, tuna, mackerel, halibut), flax seed oil, black current oil, walnuts and walnut oils, dark leafy vegetables, eggs (from free range chickens preferred), spices (including mustard, fennel, cumin and Fenugreek).
* Recommended Dose: 1500 mg daily
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration
* Recommended Products: Carlson's Fish Oil, BioTears
* Notes: Any time oils are increased in the diet, for example by eating nuts or using lots of cooking oils, be sure to increase intake of vitamins A, B3, B6, C, E and minerals zinc, selenium, and manganese for proper absorption.

Omega-6 Fatty Acids – are important to protect cells from degenerative changes and to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

* Food Sources: Human mother’s milk, evening primrose, borage and black currant oils.
* Recommended Dose: 1500 mg daily
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration
* Recommended Products: Carlson's Fish Oil, BioTears

Minerals

Chromium – helps regulate blood sugar, circulation and fat metabolism, and helps prevent nearsightedness, a risk factor for vitreous degeneration and floaters.

* Food Sources: Brewer’s yeast, eggs, potato skins.
* Other Sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 200 mcg daily.
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retinopathy
* Recommended Product: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula

* Note: Chromium reduces the blood sugar levels of diabetics, and may require the patient to adjust the insulin dose accordingly.

Magnesium – is a mineral that relaxes smooth muscles and helps prevent muscle spasms. Smooth muscles are what regulate the outflow of aqueous humor from the inner eye.

* Food Sources: Almonds, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables.
* Recommended Dose: 500 mg daily.
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Blepharospasm (twitching of the eyelids), Keratoconus
* Other Conditions: Also good for migraines
* Recommended Products: Optic Nerve Formula , Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, BioTears
* Note: If you are taking antibiotics, do not take magnesium because it interferes with the antibiotics effectiveness.

Selenium – makes sure that glutathione is doing its job. It does this so well that patients with macular degeneration have reported improved vision after taking selenium and vitamin E.

* Food Sources: Garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, brown rice, eggs, shrimp, sunflower seeds, tuna, chicken, brazil nuts, wheat.
* Other Sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 200 mcg daily.
* Eye Conditions: Cataracts, Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retinopathy

* Recommended Products: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, Optic Nerve Formula

Zinc – has been shown to stabilize and even improve vision in people with macular degeneration.

* Food Sources: Barley, wheat, chicken, crab, oysters, lamb, beef, turkey.
* Other Sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 30 mg daily.
* Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma, Cataracts, , Poor Night Vision, Floaters

* Recommended Product: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula
* Note: Zinc deficiencies can result from the following:
1. excessive sweating,
2. high fiber diets can bind zinc and prevent its absorption,
3. phosphates in soda interfere with zinc,
4. coffee drinking can produce zinc deficiency.
* Zinc supplement should not be taken with copper, iron, calcium or fiber (which bind the zinc and make it unusable). Copper is inhibited by zinc, so if zinc supplements are used, 2 mg of copper should be taken daily.

Other Nutrients

Alpha Lipoic Acid plays a crucial role in the mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in cells, and it helps deactivate an unusually wide array of cell-damaging free radicals. This is an essential nutrient for the eyes. A recent research study suggested that the alpha-R form is the most bioavailable.

* Food Sources: Good food sources of alpha lipoic acid include spinach, broccoli, beef, yeast (particularly Brewer's yeast), and certain organ meats (such as the kidney and heart).
* Other Sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 300 mg per day or 150 mg per day of Alpha-R Lipoic Acid, or more as prescribed by your health care professional.
* Recommended Product: Alpha Lipoic Acid
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retinopathy , Cataracts

Garlic – helps prevent blood clots from forming in the small blood vessels of the retina.

* Food Sources: Fresh garlic cloves
* Other Sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 1000 mg of garlic powder, 20 mg of garlic oil, 3 cloves per day.
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retinopathy , Cataracts
* Recommended Product: Garlic Tablets
* Note: Garlic contains cysteine, methione, and glutathione. It reduces cholesterol, thins the blood without the side effects of aspirin, reduces blood pressure, and is used as a natural antibiotic.

Coenzyme Q10 (also called CoQ10) helps cells breakdown food into energy, and improves heart function and overall blood circulation.

* Food Sources: The best sources of CoQ10 are animal muscle tissues, but many people prefer not to eat this type of food. It is also found in vegetables, particularly spinach and broccoli, but it is easily destroyed in the cooking process.
* Other Sources: Supplements
* Recommended Dose: 30 mg per day, or more as prescribed by your health care professional.
* Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration , Diabetic Retinopathy , Cataracts
* Recommended Product: Coenzyme Q10
Vitamins

Vitamin A – we usually recommend taking vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A with a small amount of fat in the diet.
o Food Sources: Yellow and orange vegetables, including yams, carrots and sweet potatoes, asparagus, spinach, butternut squash, kale, bok choy, mangoes, cataloupe, apricots.
o Other Sources: Supplements
o Recommended Dose: Approximately 15,000 to 25,000 I.U. of beta-carotene daily.
o Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma, Cataracts, Dry Eyes
o Recommended Products: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, BioTears, Vitamin A
o Note: If you have a low thyroid problem, diabetes or problems with fat absorption, beta-carotene may have difficulty converting to vitamin A.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – aids in the reception of light by the retina, and is necessary for glutathione production.
+ Food Sources: Brewer’s yeast, beans, wheat germ, whole grains, almonds.
+ Other Sources: Supplements
+ Recommended Dose: 10 mg daily.
+ Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma, Cataracts, Dry Eyes
+ Recommended Product(s): Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin
+ Note: If deficient in vitamin B2, it may help with the following conditions: 1) soreness around the eyes, 2) eyes tiring easily, 3) sensitivity to light, 4) dry eyes, 5) cataracts, 6) conjuntivitus, 7) macular degeneration, 8) styes.

Folic Acid - also called folacin and folate, is a water soluble B-vitamin that helps build healthy cells. "Water soluble" means it does not stay in your body for very long, so you need to take it every day to help prevent neural tube defects. During periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and fetal development, the body's requirement for this vitamin increases.
+ Food Sources: Green leafy vegetables, and broccoli.
+ Other Sources: Supplements
+ Recommended Dose: 400 mcg daily.
+ Eye Conditions: Cataracts
+ Recommended Product(s): Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, Folic Acid
+ Notes: Should be taken with vitamin B12 and Zinc.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) – found to be deficient in almost all persons with macular degeneration. B6 aids in the proper absorption of magnesium, and has a diuretic effect which helps decrease eye pressure.
+ Food Sources: Avocados, bananas, brewer’s yeast, carrots, brown rice, wheat germ, sunflower seeds.
+ Other Sources: Supplements
+ Recommended Dose: 50 mg daily.
+ Eye Conditions: Dry Eyes
+ Recommended Products: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, BioTears

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) seems to improve or prevent the worsening of eyesight in glaucoma patients, apparently by preventing the degeneration of the fatty layer surrounding the nerve cells called the myelin sheath.
+ Food Sources: Eggs, sardines, clams, mackerel.
+ Other Sources: Supplements
+ Recommended Dose: up to 1,000 mcg per day (therapeutic dosage). RDA is 5 mcg per day.
+ Eye Conditions: Glaucoma, Optic Nerve Problems
+ Recommended Product: Vital Eyes Complete

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is the queen of antioxidants, helping neutralize free radicals, plus serves as a natural ultraviolet filter inside the eye. The eye has the second highest concentration of Vitamin C in the body next to the adrenal glands.
+ Food Sources: Broccoli, green cabbage, bell peppers, red peppers, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, tangerines, kiwi fruit, oranges, lemons, papayas.
+ Other Sources: Supplements
+ Recommended Dose: 500-3000 mg daily.
+ Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Cataracts, Dry Eyes
+ Recommended Products: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, BioTears
+ Note: Large doses of vitamin C may cause diarrhea. If so, reduce the dosage.

Vitamin E is another antioxidant that helps reduce eye pressure. Choose the natural “d” form, not the synthetic “dl” form.
+ Food Sources: Wheat germ, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, broccoli, mangoes, avocados.
+ Other Sources: Supplements
+ Recommended Dose: 400-500 I.U.’s daily.
+ Eye Conditions: Macular Degeneration , Glaucoma, Cataracts
+ Recommended Products: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula, Pure Focus
+ Notes: If you are taking blood thinning drugs, consult with your physician due to the fact that vitamin E thins the blood. Note that vitamin E also has been shown to reduce the need for insulin among diabetics.