Dried Goji Berries Can Prevent Age-Related Vision Loss

 

A small, randomized trial by the University of California, Davis, found that people who regularly eat a small serving of dried goji berries might see prevention or delay of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in healthy, middle-aged people.

Affecting over 170 people globally and roughly 11 million throughout the United States, AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in elderly people.

Glenn Yiu, a co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, said, "AMD affects your central field of vision and can affect your ability to read or recognize faces."

Research concluded that 13 study participants ages 45 to 65 increased the density of protective eye pigments after eating 28 grams (a handful) of goji berries five times per week for 90 days. Eating goji berries increased eye pigments lutein and zeaxanthin, which filter out harmful blue light, provide support through antioxidant protection, and protect aging eyes.

Lead author Xiang Li, a doctoral candidate in the Nutritional Biology Program, said, "Lutein and zeaxanthin are like sunscreen for your eyes. The higher the lutein and zeaxanthin in your retina, the more protection you have. Our study found that even in normal healthy eyes, these optical pigments can be increased with a small daily serving of goji berries."

Goji berries are commonly used in Chinese medicine to "brighten" eyes through lutein and zeaxanthin. Dietary supplements containing Vitamin C, Vitamin E, zinc, copper, lutein, and zeaxanthin are used to treat intermediate stages of AMD.

"Our study shows goji berries, which are a natural food source, can improve macular pigments of healthy participants beyond taking high-dose nutritional supplements," said Yiu. "The next step for our research will be to examine goji berries in patients with early-stage AMD."

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

 

Declining Eyesight Improved with Red Light Therapy

 

A novel study by researchers at UCL found that three minutes of exposure to deep red light once a week can vastly improve deteriorating eyesight.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, outlines how using longwave deep red light in the morning activated mitochondria cells in the human retina, repairing declining vision. Previous studies focused on higher energy levels and different times of the day to perform the therapy.

Overall, researchers discovered an average of 17 percent improvement in color contrast vision when exposed to three minutes of deep red light in the morning, which lasted at least a week. The same test, performed in the afternoon, showed no vision improvement.

Researchers' findings exhibit a breakthrough for eye health which could lead to more affordable home-based therapies. Millions of people suffer worldwide from naturally declining vision, which could be improved with just three minutes of red light therapy every morning.

Professor Glen Jeffery, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, lead author, said, "We demonstrate that one single exposure to longwave deep red light in the morning can significantly improve declining vision, which is a major health and wellbeing issue, affecting millions of people globally. This simple intervention applied at the population level would significantly impact on quality of life as people age and would likely result in reduced social costs that arise from problems associated with reduced vision."

Working with Planet Lighting UK, Jeffery aims to produce 670nm infrared eyewear at an affordable price; other LED devices made specifically for the same purpose can cost more than $20,000.

Jeffery said, "The technology is simple and very safe; the energy delivered by 670nm long wave light is not that much greater than that found in natural environmental light. Given its simplicity, I am confident an easy-to-use device can be made available at an affordable cost to the general public. In the near future, a once a week three-minute exposure to deep red light could be done while making a coffee, or on the commute listening to a podcast, and such a simple addition could transform eye care and vision around the world."

Rohr Eye & Laser Center offers the most advanced technology available to provide personalized and extraordinary care to our patients. Whether your goal is to maintain or improve your natural vision, we are here to help you. Call us at 877-579-0202 or visit https://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.