Macular degeneration is an eye disease which causes the central part of your vision to blur and become distorted, typically as the result of retinal damage in one or both eyes. It is caused by the breakdown of retinal fibers.

Studies have demonstrated that nutritional supplements may slow the progression of advanced age-related macular degeneration for individuals at high risk. If this sounds promising to you, speak to your ophthalmologist or optometrist today about whether these supplements could benefit you.

Vitamin A

Macular degeneration affects the central part of your retina and diminishes your ability to see fine detail, potentially leading to blindness if left untreated. Luckily, however, it does not cause total blindness; you can continue living independently. In most cases, macular degeneration is an age-related condition which gradually worsens over time; you can slow its progress by eating healthily and supplementing with vitamins.

Vitamin A is one of the essential eye vitamins for macular degeneration. A fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin, it plays a vital role in retinal function and night blindness prevention as well as keeping skin, lungs, intestine and urinary tract healthy – helping lower infection risks as a bonus!

Vitamin A can be obtained in two forms through diet. Animal sources contain preformed vitamin A in the form of retinol and retinyl palmitate; plant foods contain provitamin A (beta-carotene). Both forms are converted to retinal and retinoic acid once in the body; as such, an RDA for Vitamin A has been set by the Institute of Medicine to ensure adequate amounts are consumed each day by most healthy individuals.

Researchers from UC have recently made an impressive discovery: a combination of nutrients can significantly slow the progression of advanced age-related macular degeneration. Their formula, comprised of high doses of vitamins A, C and E as well as carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin; zinc; and copper was found to decrease progression rates for moderate to severe macular degeneration patients by 19 percent! This impressive result demonstrates the value of good diet as well as regular eye exams.

Diet is the best way to get vitamin A. A diet rich in dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale; orange and yellow fruits/veggies such as carrots/sweet peppers; fish such as salmon/sardines/tuna can all provide ample source of this vital nutrient. Furthermore, flax seeds/walnuts containing omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower risk of macular degeneration.

Vitamin C

Nutrition can play an essential role in protecting against eye diseases and vision loss, with vitamins A, C and E being particularly essential to eye health. They can be found in many foods and may help slow or stop macular degeneration among other eye conditions.

Eyes may be delicate organs, but you can do much to protect their health through diet and dietary supplements. Certain vitamins can reduce your risk for age-related macular degeneration – a deterioration of the macula at the back of the eye that causes blurriness or makes fine details difficult to see clearly – while omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cataract and glaucoma risk.

Many individuals suffer from macular degeneration as they age, with advanced cases often leading to permanent blindness. Advanced macular degeneration typically manifests itself by small deposits beneath the retina called drusen and an abnormal accumulation of fluid under it (wet AMD).

Studies suggest that diets rich in certain nutrients may reduce the risk of early macular degeneration and its advanced stages, including beta-carotene, zinc, vitamins A, C and E may provide antioxidant protection that could prevent retinal damage caused by oxidation of retinal tissues and other parts of the eye.

Foods rich in eye-friendly vitamins and minerals include leafy green vegetables, fruits and berries, sweet potatoes and carrots. They all provide essential eye vitamins like lutein and zeaxanthin which have been proven to lower risk for macular degeneration and cataracts, along with fat-soluble vitamins D and E that provide essential protection. Studies suggest eating a well balanced diet is sufficient to meet most healthy adults’ Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), however to ensure optimal vision health it is wise to seek advice from an eye care specialist regarding optimal dietary requirements for you and your family.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant that has the power to prevent cataract formation and slow macular degeneration. Naturally found in foods like vegetable oils, nuts and seeds; supplement forms include alpha-tocopherol and tocotrienol; though these differ slightly in chemical structure they all share similar antioxidant activity that reduces damage caused by free radicals.

AREDS (Age-Related Macular Degeneration Study), sponsored by the National Eye Institute, revealed that people taking specific antioxidant vitamins and minerals reduced their risk of advanced macular degeneration by 25%. These nutrients included a combination of vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc; however these supplements cannot repair sight lost to macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition that impairs central vision. Central vision is necessary for reading, driving a car, identifying faces, etc. People living with macular degeneration have difficulty seeing fine details like letters and words clearly; however, peripheral vision allows them to still move around freely and perform daily tasks.

Studies suggest that eating fruits and vegetables regularly can help protect against macular degeneration. A diet rich in dark green leafy veggies, tomatoes, squash and peppers provides your body with essential eye nutrients needed for good eye health; furthermore, fruits rich in lutein and zeaxanthin provide further eye pigments needed to maintain vision health.

Macular degeneration risk reduction aside, these nutrients may also strengthen your immune system and promote heart health. Speak to your physician to explore how proper nutrition can have an impactful and positive influence on both your physical health and overall wellness.

Quercetin

Quercetin, a plant flavonoid that has powerful antioxidative effects, is an excellent natural anti-inflammatory. As such, it may help prevent and treat neurodegeneration, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration as well as improve athletic performance, recovery time and reduce stress (7).

Studies conducted on human volunteers demonstrated the benefits of supplementing twice-daily quercetin dosage of 250 mg from Quercefit(r), for three months to maintain athletic resistance during triathlon competition and significantly enhance physical recovery (8). Furthermore, supplementation decreased oxidative stress while increasing gene expression related to cell protection.

The study demonstrated quercetin’s direct protective effect on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells against oxidative damage and cell senescence associated with early age-related macular degeneration (9). Furthermore, quercetin suppressed laser-induced choroidal neovascularization formation in rabbit eyes (10).

Age-related macular degeneration, often known by its medical term macular atrophy, results from the breakdown of your retina’s macula. You may notice blurry vision that gradually worsens over time until fine details at close range become difficult to see. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among those aged 50 or over; you can help slow its progress by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins A, C and E as well as taking nutritional supplements designed to support eye health.

Longevity Science Advanced Macular Support contains clinically studied nutrients Vitamin A, C and E as well as the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin; powerful bioflavonoids quercetin and saffron; phospholipids from non-GMO sunflower, lipoid acid from Longvida curcumin as well as L-cysteine as ingredients – without gluten, dairy products, eggs, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts or peanuts in its formulation!