| Throughout the ages, people had different ways | | | | antioxidant regimen consisting of vitamins A |
| of caring for the eyes. The Sioux Indians blew the | | | | (beta-carotene), C and E, zinc or antioxidants plus |
| dust of bezoar stones into the eyes to | | | | zinc. The antioxidants were given at doses higher |
| strengthen sight and improve the intellect. | | | | than the recommended daily adult requirement. |
| Seamen wore gold earrings for generations to | | | | Results were encouraging. After seven years of |
| sharpen vision. Bee products like royal jelly and | | | | follow up, Dr. Neil M. Bressler, professor of |
| propolis - which can cause allergic and other | | | | ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns |
| adverse reactions - are also touted by some | | | | Hopkins University School of Medicine, reported |
| "health food" advocates as a cure for poor | | | | that patients in the third and fourth groups who |
| eyesight. | | | | took antioxidants plus zinc lowered their risk of |
| The most prominent eye quack was the late Dr. | | | | AMD by 25 percent. The risk of vision loss was |
| William Horatio Bates who wrote "The Cure of | | | | also reduced in the same group. Furthermore, no |
| Imperfect Eyesight by Treatment Without | | | | serious side effects were associated with the |
| Glasses" in 1920. In that book, Bates extolled the | | | | treatment. |
| virtues of eye exercises that he claimed could | | | | The above trial echoes the results of early |
| cure several eye diseases such as cataracts and | | | | studies that have linked antioxidant use to a |
| age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One | | | | reduced risk of AMD. As early as 1988, the |
| exercise Bates encouraged people to do was to | | | | National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey |
| stare directly at the sun for several minutes to | | | | (NHANES) found that those who ate vitamin |
| improve vision! | | | | A-rich fruits and vegetables were protected from |
| Fortunately, there's a better and safer way of | | | | AMD. Subsequent trials found that carotenoids, |
| improving vision and preventing AMD, the most | | | | particularly lutein and zeaxanthin, and antioxidant |
| common cause of blindness in people over 50. | | | | vitamins were responsible for this effect. |
| Researchers believe certain vitamins and minerals | | | | Although the mechanism is not fully understood, |
| may protect the eyes from this dreaded disease. | | | | researchers believe that concentrations of lutein |
| This good news comes from the Age-Related | | | | and zeaxanthin in the macula (the light-sensitive |
| Eye Disease Study (AREDS) Group which found | | | | tissue at the center of the retina that provides |
| that high doses of antioxidants can reduce the | | | | clear central vision) are strongly influenced by the |
| risk of AMD by up to 25 percent. In a randomized | | | | dietary intake of these nutrients. These nutrients |
| trial, a total of 4,757 patients were divided into | | | | apparently increase the density of the macular |
| four groups. The first group had no AMD; the | | | | pigment, protecting it from the harmful effects of |
| second group had early AMD; the third had | | | | blue light. The antioxidant vitamins C, E and zinc |
| intermediate AMD; and the fourth group had | | | | also shield the retina from the harmful effects of |
| advanced AMD. Patients received a placebo, an | | | | free radicals, including the development of AMD. |