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Macular degeneration - slowing it down
My partner is in his early 70s and has macular degeneration. Is there anything he can take to slow this down? The thought of his eyes getting so bad he can no longer read is too depressing to contemplate.
There are two key plant chemicals that will work together to protect your husband’s failing eyesight and slow down this degenerative condition, which is the leading cause of loss of eyesight among elderly populations in the West. The first is a chemical called Lutein. The second is called Zeaxanthin. Both are members of the eyesight-boosting carotenoid family and new studies show that high levels of both in the diet have now been linked to a much lower risk of a range of eyesight problems including age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
The reason these agents are so effective is that their action is specific to that part of the light-sensitive retina on the inner surface at the back of the eye where macular degeneration occurs. According to a study by Harvard researchers, older people eating the equivalent of 5.8mg a day were found to have a 57% reduced risk of macular degeneration compared with a control group eating much lower levels.
You can source both these chemicals from a range of dark green foods in an everyday diet, including spinach broccoli and kale, but for a dosage that really will make a difference, your husband and anyone over the age of 65 should take a supplement called Macuvite which combines both. Made by Springfield, it costs £17.99 for 30 vegetarian capsules and is now available in the UK from the Nutricentre on 0800 587 2290.