This is an exciting piece of news. Remember a few weeks ago I blogged about how certain foods can keep your eyes healthy? Well, one of the supplements found in foods that I said particularly benefited eye-sight was Zeaxanthin. Now a study carried out Stuart Richer, PhD, OD at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Chicago, has proved that taking a daily supplement of 8 mg of dietary Zeaxanthin not only stops vision loss, but also improves night vision and recognition of fine detail.
Real, Measurable Improvement in Vision Recorded
The study of 60 veterans with age-related Macular degeneration showed that after taking an 8mg dose of Zeaxanthin every day, these veterans could drive better at night, lost all their previous blind spots and were able to better read eye charts, being able to read on average 8.5 letters or 1.5 lines of letters more than they could before taking Zeaxanthin.
Zeaxanthin Better than Lutein
The participants in the study took 8mg of Zeaxanthin, 9mg of Lutein or a combination of both supplements daily over the 12 month study period. Each veteran underwent comprehensive eye exams, including a Macular Pigment Optical Density exam.
The macular is located at the back of the eye and in healthy eyes, Zeaxanthin and Lutein are found in a ratio of 2:1, with the Zeaxanthin protecting the cones in the eye which are responsible for colour perception and focussing on fine details. In people with age-related Macular degeneration, this ratio is much lower, which affects their vision.
The study proved that Zeaxanthin improved vision far better than traditional Lutein supplements.
But You Don’t Need to Take a Supplement
Despite the fact that Zeaxanthin can be found in dark, leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens, kale, leeks, lettuce and spinach as well as in brightly coloured citrus fruits, not enough people eat enough foods containing Zeaxanthin to reap the benefits.
Yet, when you consider the alternatives: eating greens or slowly losing your vision, I know which one I’d go for. And now science has backed it up. So, either take a supplement or boost your intake of healthy eye foods. You know it’s worth it.
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