Eating Berries May Combat Age-Related Cognitive Decline

The UK’s Press Association (8/23) reported, “Eating berries may combat age-related mental decline by ‘cleaning up’ the brain” according to research presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston. “Scientists have found the first evidence that polyphenol compounds in the fruits activate the brain’s natural [...]

Eyes may absorb catechins from green tea

WebMD (2/18, Warner) reported that, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, catechins, “the compounds responsible for many of the health benefits of green tea, are capable of penetrating the tissues of the eyes and have antioxidant activity there” for “up to 20 hours.” After [...]

Diet & Nutrition

Adding powerful antioxidants to your diet
can improve your eye health.
There’s no substitute for the quality of life good vision offers.  Adding certain nutrients to your diet every day – either through foods or supplements – can help save your vision.  Researchers have linked eye-friendly nutrients such as lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to [...]

Doctors report vitamin B – niacin significantly better at shrinking artery plaque than billion-dollar blockbuster ezetimibe

By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY
ORLANDO — It isn’t often that a study involving a couple of hundred people shakes up medical science.
That’s what happened Monday, when doctors formally reported that lowly niacin, a B vitamin, did a significantly better job of shrinking artery plaque than a billion-dollar blockbuster called ezetimibe, the active ingredient in the [...]

Foods containing omega 3 fatty acids, fish oils may help prevent AMD

 The UK’s Daily Mail (7/24, Hope) reports that, according to a study “to appear in the American Journal of Pathology next month,” foods “containing omega 3 and fish oils may help prevent” age-related macular degeneration (AMD), “the most common cause of blindness in old age.” For the study, researchers at the National Eye Institute “fed [...]

Dangerous Weight Loss Supplements

Late in April, the FDA issued a warning to consumers to stop taking the Hydoxycut line of weight loss products, which have been associated with a number of serious adverse effects including liver and kidney failure. Hydroxycut products are probably the best known weight loss supplements and are sold in national chain stores including GNC [...]

Study indicates B vitamins may lower risk of AMD in women.

USA Today (2/24, Marcus) reports that, according to a study published Feb. 23 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, “taking B vitamins could lower the risk for” age-related macular degeneration (AMD), “a leading cause of blindness in older Americans.” For the study, William Christen, Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, [...]

Fish Oil may help combat dry-eye syndrome

An increasing wealth of evidence now suggests that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help eliminate the signs and symptoms of dry eye.1 Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has demonstrated improved Schirmer test scores, tear film break-up time, fluorescein staining and lissamine green staining in patients who present with mild to moderate dry eye.2-5

In [...]

Spinach may help prevent macular degeneration, dietitian says.

The Dallas Morning News (9/28, Churnin) reported that certain foods “can turn back the clock,” according to dietitian Karen Ansel, R.D. For example, spinach, which is “loaded with Vitamin K,” can help “improve bone density and lower the risk of hip fracture.” In addition, “it’s the No. 1 source of zeaxanthin and lutein, nutrients that [...]

Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables may help protect against cataracts, AMD

The Miami Herald (8/25) reported that according to Harvard Medical School’s Healthbeat newsletter, “Carrots, which contain vitamin A, are one of several vegetables that are good for the eyes.” Even better are “fresh fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, which contain more antioxidant vitamins, such as C and E,” that “may help protect against cataracts [...]