The Value Of A Good Macular Degeneration Supplement

By Patricia Anderson


Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a serious problem that causes people to lose the vision in the center of their eye. Although they are not completely blind, they lose the ability to perform many routine tasks. Research into this condition shows that a good macular degeneration supplement may help slow the progression of this debilitating disease.

When the center of the retina disintegrates, no messages from this part of the eye reach the brain. Nothing straight ahead can be seen. Reading, driving a car, or seeing the person you are speaking to are no longer possible. This means a normal life is over. For all practical purposes, people with AMD are blind.

Lifestyle does affect eye health, although this condition is definitely genetic. Smoking is a definite negative. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and a diet high in trans fats are other contributing factors. A program of whole, fresh foods, exercise, and stress reduction is recommended to prevent or delay the onset of this disorder. It mostly affects people over the age of fifty.

As far as supplementing a whole-foods diet with supplements go, the research is not definitive. Reports say that supplements can't prevent the disease but that they slow the progression. They report that no benefit is seen in the early stages of AMD, but vitamins and minerals seem to help with more advanced symptoms. Since all the nutrients studied are considered good for total body health, there seems to be little point in waiting to start taking them.

The list of recommended nutrients includes vitamins A, C, and E. If you look at the research, remember that a study using natural forms of nutrients may be more reliable than ones using synthetic vitamins. Benefits of natural dietary aids are invariably greater than those of man-made replicas. The study that said smokers should avoid beta-carotene, for instance, is considered flawed, but it also used a synthetic form of this nutrient.

Antioxidants (which include C and E) are considered helpful, although not all of the information agrees. However, since antioxidants have been shown to positively impact some of the health conditions that can lead to AMD, there seems to be a contradiction here. Many of the millions who take supplements would rather err on the side of 'maybe it will help' than deny themselves that possibility.

Super-fruits contain many less familiar substances which have been the subject of recent studies. Pomegranate juice contains something called punicalagin which may be the most effective of all. Anthocyanins (colored pigments found in berries and other fruits) help protect eyes from the effects of aging. Lutein and zeaxanthin are other nutrients shown to be helpful.

Fish oils, carotenes, Vitamin D, and minerals like zinc, copper, and selenium are also on the list. Getting the right amounts of these nutrients is important. The best way to do this is to find a good supplement that contains most if not all the recommended nutrients. Choose a reputable manufacturer with third-party evaluations that prove they provide the nutrients they promise - and that their product contains them in effective doses. You can find products clinically proven to be effective. This ensures your money is well spent and your eyes are getting the best help possible.




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