|
=============================================
THE MAGNIFIER Issue #23, July 20, 2004
Newsletter from the Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 531313 Henderson, NV 89053
http://www.eyesight.org
=============================================
A TASTE OF HONEY
AARP July, 2004
By Melissa Gotthardt
Candy may be dandy, but honey boosts body levels of disease-fighting antioxidants. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, recently found that adding four tablespoons of
honey to subjects' daily diets increased their blood levels of phenolics: natural antioxidant compound that squelch the cell-damaging action of unstable free-radical molecules. For the best boost, suggests study author,
Heidrun Gross, Ph.D, choose dark honey which indicates a higher antioxidant content.
============================
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Desertnews
"Bell Peppers (green, red, orange or yellow) are rich
sources of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which are two powerful antioxidants. Peppers also contain vitamin B-6, folic acid and fiber. Red peppers contain lycopene, the same carotenoid in tomatoes and watermelon
that has been found to be beneficial in the stabilization of macular degeneration. Bell peppers appear to have a protective effect against cataracts, possibly due to vitamin C and betacarotene. Italian researchers
compared the diets of 207 hospital patients who had cataracts removed with 706 patients who did not need the surgery. Certain vegetables, including sweet peppers, reduced the cataract operation risk and the researchers
concluded these vegetables provided significant protection. Red bell peppers also supply the phyto-nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been found to protect against macular degeneration."
============================
SUPPLEMENTS FOR THE EYE
OPTOTABS, the only vitamin formula that is recommended by the Macular Degeneration Foundation, has included lutein and zeaxanthin, into the proven vitamin formula for
the eye. You can go to http://www.optogon.com or call 800-924-4393 to order your eye vitamins.
============================
BLUEBERRIES "VISION FRUIT"
"Blueberries are nicknamed the
"vision fruit" in Japan probably because anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigment that gives the fruit its deep color, may help protect against macular degeneration. Blueberries neutralize free-radical damage to the
collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to various diseases and conditions. Blueberries can be blended with yogurt or oatmeal. Sprinkle with wheat germ or nuts for a healthful treat.
============================
ARTIFICIAL RETINA COULD RESTORE VISION
Stanford Medical Center
"Bay Area (KRON): Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults. It's estimated that up to
13 million Americans have some form of the disease. Now researchers at Stanford Medical Center are developing an artificial retina they hope will one day be able to restore vision.
Inside a small petri dish in a
basement of a side building on the Stanford campus is a tiny microchip. It's so small it could easily fit inside Lincoln's head on a penny. But if it works, the implications for millions of people around the world would
be enormous.
Dr. Harvey Fishman, PhD, of the Stanford Medical Center says, 'The goal is to replace the damaged retina in patients who have macular degeneration and other macular dystrophies.'
In macular degeneration,
the light sensitive part of the eye, the retina, is slowly eroded. It's as if you have a black dot blocking your central vision.
Researchers at Stanford hope to restore that vision by implanting a chip that uses
microscopic amounts of chemicals to mimic the action of the retina. Those chemicals act like neuro-transmitters, sending signals from the eye to the brain, in effect helping it see again.
Dr. Harvey Fishman says, 'So
if you have 15 or 100 different types of cells in the retina, we're trying to make a combination of chemicals, cocktails, so to speak, that stimulates those cells very specifically and selectively.
It's incredibly
complex. So far the researchers have developed a chip with four tiny openings. Those openings can emit chemicals in quantities so small they are measured in molecules. In time they hope to build a more complex
chip with more openings and more chemicals, one that will ultimately perform in the same way that the human retina does.
It's a long way from that right now but researchers are optimistic they're on the right track.
"We've actually demonstrated the first and hardest step, that a single element works. It looks very encouraging. We're very excited about the possibilities for this as a potential therapy," Dr. Fishman
says.
The research not only holds promise for helping people with macular degeneration, it could also work as a drug delivery system to treat people with Parkinson's disease."
============================
ADULT BLINDNESS: Fade to Black
Review-Journal
Sonya Padgett
Dr. Charles Graham, a Las Vegas ophthalmologist, does a macular degeneration interview by the Las Vegas Review Journal. Dr. Graham says, "Each case
is different, but people with macular degeneration usually retain some peripheral vision, while losing the ability to see fine details. People with the disease can sometimes see colors, shapes, even words with the help of
magnification devices."
"Doctors don't know what causes macular degeneration. Research suggests that smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heredity, nutrition, obesity, and sun exposure may play a
role, though what role and to what extent remains unclear."
Currently there is no cure and few treatments for either the dry or wet form of the disease. Laser surgery can halt the progression of wet macular
degeneration, however sight can't be restored."
The results of several studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C,E, beta carotene and the mineral zinc may help to prevent or even improve the effects of
macular degeneration. Lutein, a pigment found in spinach and other dark leafy green vetetables, has been shown to reverse some of the symptoms of macular degeneration", Graham says.
"Despite the lack of
knowledge as to the cause of macular degeneration", Graham says, "eliminating or reducing what scientists believe to be potential risk factors may help prevent it. That means staying in good health, eating a good
diet, exercising, wearing sunglasses, and QUITTING SMOKING."
============================
CONTACTING MDF
To speak to a support representative directly, you may
call 1-888-633-3937. If you reach our voice mail, please speak slowly and distinctly.
ORDERING BOOKS & TAPES
When purchasing items from Amazon.com, please remember to use the MDF search box located at
http://www.eyesight.org/Books/books.html . By simply originating your search from our website, Amazon rewards the Foundation with a small commission from each product you order. Thank you.
MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS:
Please make checks payable to Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, Nevada 89053, or you may use your credit card on our web site http://www.eyesight.org/Donations/donations.html . Your
contributions make our services available as a support system for macular degeneration patients in the following ways:
1. We provide toll-free lines for personal contact assistance.
2. We mail brochures and other printed materials upon request.
3. We support an award-winning web site that provides the latest up-to-date information.
4. We fund research proposal grants to provide therapies for both the wet
and dry form of AMD. Contributions marked "research" are used 100% for research.
============================
PRODUCTS FOR LOW VISION
To order the eye supplement that is endorsed by the Macular
Degeneration Foundation, OPTOTABS, visit http://www.optogon.com. This site also provides two low-vision products that have given many victims of vision loss their ability to read important documents. Call this toll-free
number for more information 800-924-4393. A percent of the proceeds from the sale of these items is invested into Macular Degeneration Research.
============================
MDF was founded in 1992 by Edmund
J. Aleksandrovich Ph.D (a victim of macular degeneration). It provides MD patients and their families with the information necessary to understand the disease, the latest news concerning ways to cope with the disease, and
supports the efforts of researchers to find a cure.
Subscribers who wish to cancel their subscription or change their email address may visit: http://www.eyesight.org/Newsletter/newsletter.html .
==============================================
==============================================
|
|
