Category: Eye Health

Vitamins and natural herbs have become more and more popular for alternative treatment as additional treatments for medical conditions. Ginkgo Biloba has been used for centuries as a traditional treatment which may help blood flow to the brain and aid in treatment of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It might help treat leg pain that results […]

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has become a popular supplement which is said to help with a number of health issues including cataract and macular degeneration in the eye, but the Mayo Clinic gives it a “C” grade for its benefits in the eye (meaning the evidence is unclear to support its use). CoQ10 is also called […]

If you or your children wear glasses for nearsightedness (myopia) you have probably seen advertisements for vitamins and supplements that claim to prevent or reduce nearsightedness. Approximately 1.6 billion people were nearsighted in 2000, and up to 2.5 billion worldwide are expected to be nearsighted by 2020. The myopia boom in East Asia has resulted […]

Vitamin A. This first to be discovered vitamin is found in a wide variety of fruits and veggies as well as eggs. Vitamin A deficiency is rare in North America but worldwide the World Health Organization estimates that 250 000 to 500 000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within […]

I am a fan of food. The most powerful health advice is common sense – simple and straightforward. Don’t smoke, exercise, get your blood pressure and blood sugar checked, and have regular screening exams both for eyes and general health. Michael Pollan’s seven words – Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much – are a […]

It turns out getting vitamins in your diet that are good for your eyes is a simple as looking for color. Of course the old favorite is the bright orange carrot. Beta-carotene which is responsible for the orange color in carrots, squash, and pumpkins that the body converts to vitamin A which is important to […]

Bilberry is a shrub that produces berries that resemble blueberries. It is found in Northern and Central Europe. In Scandanavia wild bilberries are the most common. Various medicinal effects have been attributed to this natural source of antioxidants. The compounds that are responsible for the dark color are anthocyanins. This berry has been reported to […]

Nearsightedness (also called myopia) affects from 20% to 50% of North Americans and up to >80% of some populations in Asian countries. The need for nearsighted correction with glasses or contacts can run in families and is more likely to be present if both parents are myopic. The natural course of nearsightedness is that it […]

Do you know what is in that herbal pill or vitamin you are swallowing or if it will really help?  The American Academy of Opthalmology (AAO) recently published a study that compared ingredients in top selling brands of supplements marketed for macular degeneration.  The Age-Related Eye Disease Study did show evidence that a formula called the AREDS […]

Is the old wives’ tales about eating carrots fact or fiction?  Caarrots are high in beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A.   Carrots also provide vitamin C, iron, calcium and fiber.  Carrots and other foods rich in vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA benefit eye health and general […]