The macula is the small, oval shaped part of the retina of the eye.  It is responsible for the detailed central vision needed for tasks such as reading, recognition of faces and appreciation of visual detail.

Early onsetAMDcauses blurring of the central vision, but with deterioration over time, can develop into significant loss of vision or even blindness.

It is well established thatAMDruns in families and there is a strong genetic factor, determining about 70% of the diseases severity.  The good news is that studies continue to show that lifestyle and nutritional choices can dramatically slow the development of the disease, even if you are unlucky enough to carry the genes.

One such study from theTuftsUniversity, examined identical twins (carrying identical genes), withAMDat different stages, allowing researchers to work out the environmental and behavioural factors that were contributing to the development of theirAMD. 

What did they find?  That diet and nutrition play a vital role in slowing the degeneration of the macular…. Hardly an earth shattering revelation.  Nourish your cells and you will protect them despite carrying the genes that increase risk of disease!

The study found that the twins with the least severeAMDate diets higher in vitamin D from dietary sources such as oily fish or milk, compared with their identical twin.  This could be because vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties, or because it blocks the formation of new blood vessels that can grow under the macula, leaking blood and causing vision loss.

Twins with a higher dietary intake of methionine and betaine also showed a slower disease progression.  Betaine is rich in fish, grains and spinach, while methionine is found in poultry, fish and dairy foods.

Twins with the most severe, fast progressingAMDwere smokers.

Take home recommendation from this (and other) studies…

To protect your vision as you age:

• eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. 
• Load up on antioxidant rich foods such as berries, dark green, purple and orange fruits and vegetables, and green tea 
• Avoid cigarette smoking and second hand smoke. 
• Have your vitamin D levels tested, and supplement with D3 throughout the winter months
• Include plentiful supplies of oily fish in your diet…. Or supplement with at least 3000mg of fish oil daily.

The list of benefits associated with a high intake of omega 3 fatty acids (which are plentiful in fish oil) is long and impressive.  Not only do these fats safeguard the health of your cardiovascular system,  they also support optimal immune function; protect against various cancers including cancer of the breast and prostate; reduce incidence of anxiety and depression; and help protect against neurological diseases such as Alzheimers Disease. 

Type 2 diabetes (once called old age onset diabetes, but now effecting people from all age groups), is reaching epidemic proportions in many western countries, including here in New Zealand.  Most clearly a “life style” disease, type 2 diabetes effects obese and sedentary people in particular.  Besides losing weight, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, one of the most important aids to preventing this devastating disease, is the addition of generous amounts of omega 3 fats to the diet.

With type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to the blood sugar regulating effects of the hormone insulin.  In a healthy body, consumption of sugars or carbohydrates starts to increase the levels of sugar in the blood.  In response to this, the pancreas begins to release insulin into the bloodstream.  It is the job of insulin to take glucose from the blood stream and shunt it across the cell membranes, into the cells.

Every cell has insulin receptors, which effectively allow insulin to communicate with the cell, and “open the door” allowing glucose to flow across the cell membrane.  With type II diabetes, these receptors become insensitive to insulin, and more and more of the hormone is required to move glucose into the cell.

Eventually, the pancreas becomes exhausted and unable to manufacture enough insulin to do the job of regulating blood sugar.  Insulin levels plummet, and blood sugar levels sore, cause havoc with the cardiovascular system, eyes and kidneys.

Wonderful fish oil comes to the rescue in multiple ways.  Firstly, fish oil helps to sensitise insulin receptors to the effects of insulin, preventing the receptor “burnout” characteristic of insulin resistance.

Secondly, fish oil helps to normalise blood fats, thus slowing or preventing much of the cardiovascular damage associated with high blood sugar.  Fish oils lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, and increase protective HDL cholesterol, while leaving “bad” cholesterol levels unchanged.

Finally, fish oils works as a powerful natural anti-inflammatory.  High levels of inflammatory markers are associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and allergies.

So, have I convinced you that daily fish oil supplements are your best friend?  Make sure the oil you choose is high quality, 100% purified and devoid of contaminants.  A basic daily dose of 2000mg is the suggested supplemental level for most healthy people.  Those with chronic illness should be taking higher doses, as advised by their nutritional health care professional.

Now, courtesy of Allergan, we have a new designer drug that could make mascara excess a thing of the past. Why then, am I not jumping for joy at the prospect of an end to the teenage mascara wars? Because, we’re talking a drug… a powerful drug, with side effects (some of them still not know), to grow a thick, luxurious crop of eyelashes. I say, give me the mascara any day.

Allergans drug, Latisse was originally formulated to be a treatment for the eye disease glaucoma. The fact that it causes a thick crop of eyelash hair was observed simply as a side effect to begin with. Allergan quickly twigged to the fact that this side effect could itself allow marketing which could see Latisse stowed in every makeup bag alongside the lip gloss and blusher. With the gorgeous Brook Shields as front person, Latisse has quickly attracted teens and 20 something’s as its biggest fans, despite its $120 a month price tag.

There is no doubt that Latisse works, and very quickly you or your teenage daughter can become the proud new owners of a set of lashes to turn daisy the cow green with envy. Trouble is, all the other stuff that comes along with the lashes to die for. How about hair growing in strange places on your cheeks; or ingrown eyelashes; or eyelashes growing to weird lengths? What about permanently darkened, browned eye lids, or weirder still, how about changing your beautiful blue or green eyes to a permanent shade of brown?
Yes, Latisse actually causes eye colour to change.

Then there’s the “per orbital fat atrophy”. That just means that the fat around your eye sockets simply disappears, giving you a very caved in, or carved out appearance around your eyes. But wait, there’s more…. Lattise can make your eyes red and irritated, cause inflammation (uveitis); swelling of the macular; cataracts and vision problems.

While all of these “side effects” are potentially problematic, the most concerning of all may be the effect of changing eye colour to brown. The truth is that the long term ramifications of this are completely unknown. The pigment granules in the eye that are changed by Latisse, are involved in the routing of the optic nerves, as well as the protection of the eye from free radical damage, protein breakdown.

In common with many other pharmaceutical drugs on the market, Lattise will be purchased and used (long term) by young women who themselves will become the guinea pigs used to discover the long term consequences and side effects of the drug.

So for me and mine, it looks like the mascara wars are here to stay, and Latisse will not be coming to live in a make up bag anywhere near this house.

To your good health

Lynda Wharton
www.lyndawharton.com