Macular Degeneration Vitamins

Macular Degeneration Vitamins in the News

A ground-breaking major study involving macular degeneration vitamins was sponsored by the National Eye Institute, one of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health, and conducted at 11 major medical center research facilities around the country - The Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). Since that time, other studies, including the Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST) have demonstrated visual improvement in patients taking specific high-dose supplements that include Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

Where Are These Supplements Available?		Commonly Asked Questions

Three formulas from major pharmaceutical manufacturers exist which exactly duplicate the formula in the Age Related Eye Disease Study. For information regarding the manufacturers and availability of these vitamins, CLICK HERE. Newer formulas that include the high-dose Lutein and Zeaxanthin shown to improve vision may are FOUND HERE.		Vitamin supplementation and macular degeneration What is AMD? Other Resources Home Page Illustrations that explain macular degeneration Eye Links Our Ratings of Macular Degeneration Vitamins Search This Site

Which Vitamins are Important?		Will taking vitamins prevent macular degeneration?

In that study, specific macular degeneration vitamin ingredients and amounts were found to slow the progression of macular degeneration in those patients with intermediate or advanced disease. It is believed that macular degeneration vitamins contain specific anti-oxidants and Zinc that promote the continued health of the retina and tissues surrounding the retina.		In the absence of any macular degeneration, there is no research published that shows that taking vitamins can prevent macular degeneration. However, the AREDS study did show, if there was disease in only one eye, that taking proper vitamin supplements prevented or slowed the progress of the disease in the opposite eye.

Macular Degeneration Vitamins - High doses of certain dietary supplements provide the first effective treatment for the leading cause of vision loss among the elderly, a new nationwide clinical study has concluded.

The disease, macular degeneration, destroys the central portion of the retina, the light-gathering cells at the back of the eye. Among people who already have significant yellowish deposits accumulating at the back of their eyes — the hallmark of the disease — the supplements cut their risk of vision loss by one-fifth.

The macular degeneration vitamin supplements — a combination of zinc and the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene — did not appear to slow the early stages of the disease, when the yellowish deposits develop, but that is a normal part of aging and is not necessarily of concern. Almost everyone over age 70 has at least one or two of them.

As the disease progresses, the center of the field of view begins to blur, making it difficult to read, drive and recognize faces. Victims must rely on their peripheral vision, looking out of the corners of their eyes and missing much of the color and detail.

Glaucoma and cataracts strike more people than macular degeneration, but effective treatments exist for those diseases. This is the one disease for which there was nothing prior to this. At best, laser surgery can slow down the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the most severe cases of macular degeneration.

Earlier studies had indicated that people who eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins and beta-carotene, are at lower risk of developing macular degeneration. An earlier, smaller clinical study had suggested zinc might be helpful.

Among those whose disease had progressed to the intermediate stage, the zinc supplements reduced by 11 percent the risk of the disease progressing to the advanced stage, and the antioxidants reduced the risk by 10 percent. When the two were combined, the risk dropped by 19 percent. The study followed the participants for 6.5 years on average.

The daily dosages of the antioxidants used in the study were 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E and 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, a molecule that provides the color of carrots and sweet potatoes. The body converts the beta-carotene into vitamin A. The daily dosage of zinc was 80 milligrams with 2 milligrams of copper. High levels of zinc can cause a deficiency of copper in the body, which can lead to anemia.

Those amounts are well above the usual levels recommended by the Food and Drug Administration: three times as much vitamin A, eight times as much vitamin C, 13 times as much vitamin E and five times as much zinc.