Regularly eating a small serving of dried goji berries may help prevent or delay the development of age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, in healthy middle-aged people, according to a small, randomized trial conducted at the University of California, Davis.
Goji berries can help vision because they contain high levels of healthy antioxidants, especially zeaxanthin. The same antioxidants can also stop damage from: UV light.
Goji berries could interact with some drugs. If you take warfarin (a blood thinner), you may want to avoid them. Goji berries may also interact with diabetes drugs and blood pressure drugs, so talk with your doctor first. Otherwise, it's probably safe to eat goji berries in moderation.
Eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and quitting smoking can also help. If you have intermediate AMD in 1 or both eyes, special dietary supplements (vitamins and minerals) may be able to stop it from turning into late AMD. If you have late AMD in only 1 eye, these supplements may slow down AMD in your other eye.
Smoking cigarettes or being regularly exposed to tobacco smoke greatly increases your risk of macular degeneration. Obesity. Research indicates that being obese may increase your chance that early or intermediate macular degeneration will progress to the more severe form of the disease.
For now, there's no way to reverse damage from dry macular degeneration. However, there are many clinical trials in progress. If your condition is diagnosed early, you can take steps to help slow its progression, such as taking vitamin supplements, eating healthy and not smoking.
Ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba ).
160 to 240 mg per day. Ginkgo contains flavonoids, which researchers think may also help AMD. Two studies showed that people with AMD who took ginkgo were able to slow their vision loss.
Goji berries are used in Chinese medicine to help delay the aging process, to strengthen the kidneys and liver, and help eyes. A small study into the health benefits of goji juice found that drinking it every day helped with energy levels, better sleep, ability to focus, and reduced fatigue and stress.
In a small study, healthy participants, aged 45 to 65, ate 28 grams (about one ounce, or a small handful) of goji berries five times a week for 90 days. Scientists found eating goji berries led to an increase in the density of protective pigments in their eyes.
The recommended serving size for dried goji berries is one-ounce, which is approximately 28g or two tablespoons, but most people can safely consume a little more than this with no concerns.
Strawberries, cranberries, blackberries and blueberries are great superfoods for healthy functioning eyes. Berries are packed with nutritious vitamins and minerals and are of particular benefit in maintaining eye health.
Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and berries are high in vitamin C, which may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Pistachios, walnuts, almonds — whichever type tickles your fancy — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E that boost your eye health.
There is currently no cure for AMD, and no treatment available for the dry form of the disease (other than preventative measures).
Results: Curcumin has found a role in slowing, and in some cases even reversing, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and retinal cancers. Conclusions: However, studies on curcumin's efficacy have been limited mostly to animal studies.
Vitamin E slows the progression of macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts. The FDA suggests adult men and women get 22 IU of vitamin E every day. You can find vitamin E in almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
All kinds of berries are great for eyes, as they contain high level of vitamin C, which helps to lower your risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Blueberries are the stars of the show, but raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and citrus fruit are all excellent snacking options for eye health.
Vision loss from wet AMD cannot usually be completely reversed. A lot of patients will start to get vision back once they begin treatment, but oftentimes, it's not to the level they were at before they developed wet AMD.
When cells in the retina get damaged, they never heal or grow back. It's a devastating fact for the millions who have lost sight due to traumatic injuries or diseases like macular degeneration, retinitis or diabetic retinopathy. But some species, such as fish and birds, shrug off injury to the eye.
It has been demonstrated that the blue rays of the spectrum seem to accelerate macular degeneration more than other rays of the spectrum. This means that very bright light, such as sunlight or its reflection in the ocean and desert, may worsen macular degeneration.
While AMD is a chronic condition, studies have shown that there are several treatments that can slow its progression or reduce the risk of it developing. If you are diagnosed with AMD, changing your diet is one way to slow the progress of the condition, especially for dry AMD.
While dry eye is common, and can be quite annoying, fortunately it has no connection to dry AMD. There is no evidence that patients with dry eye have an increased risk of dry AMD, or vice versa, although people may have both of these conditions, which are more common in people age 50 and older.