Eye Health

New Research on Lutein and Cognitive Aging Shows Definitive Benefits

Lutein, a carotenoid found in fruits and vegetables, has long been associated with eye health. A new study conducted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has found that this nutrient may also help slow cognitive decline. This pigment or carotenoid may play an important role in the development and maintenance of brain function while improving memory and learning. The link between lutein and cognitive aging may be important in future dementia research and offer adults another way to stay sharp mentally.

What is Lutein?

Lutein is one of 600 carotenoids that’s often called the “eye vitamin” for its use in the prevention of eye diseases. This antioxidant is responsible for giving vegetables and fruits their yellow color. Lutein can only be obtained through diet and supplements; it isn’t produced by the human body.

Lutein is most known for its benefits for eye health, especially when it comes to age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. The eye contains lutein and zeaxanthin in levels much higher than other tissue in the human body. Both the retina and lens of the eye are exposed to oxygen and light constantly, and these carotenoids work to reduce damage from oxygen and light.

The natural lens of the eye collects and focuses light on the retina which requires a clear lens. The most common cause of cataracts is oxidation, which results in clouding. Lutein and other antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals associated with oxidation and retinal damage. Higher intake of zeaxanthin and lutein has been associated with a much lower risk of developing cataracts.

Lutein also helps reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, a disease that causes progressive vision loss. According to one study, taking just 6 mg of lutein per day lowers the risk of macular degeneration by 43 percent.

Lutein and Cognitive Aging: What’s the Link?

A new study conducted by University of Illinois researchers examined the levels of lutein in 60 adults between 25 and 45 years old. According to researchers, the middle-aged study participants with higher lutein levels had neural responses similar to those of younger participants than with peers.

This study, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, is different than most studies that focus on older adults who have already started to experience cognitive decline. The researchers chose to focus on young and middle-aged participants to see if there was a difference based on lutein levels. The study also found that age-related cognitive decline begins earlier than many suspected with signs beginning in the 30s.

To study lutein levels, the researchers measured lutein in the eyes of the participants by having them look into a scope and responding to a flickering light. Electrodes were used on the scalp to measure neural activity while participants completed a task requiring attention.

Researchers didn’t examine how lutein works, although past studies have indicated that lutein offers anti-inflammatory properties that improve brain function. It appears that lutein offers protection for the brain.

The next step for the team is to conduct intervention trials to investigate how increasing consumption of lutein increases lutein levels in the eyes and whether it improves cognitive function.

Other Cognitive Benefits of Lutein

This is not the first study involving lutein and cognitive aging. Another study, published in the Journals of Gerontology, found that higher lutein intake is associated with a lower risk of dementia. This study, published in 2016, examined the relationship between plasma carotenoids like lutein and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The study began with 1,092 older participants with no signs of dementia. During the 10-year follow-up, 199 cases of Alzheimer’s and dementia were diagnosed. After adjusting for socioeconomic status, diet quality, and other variables, only higher lutein levels were significantly associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Research has also suggested that as babies receive more lutein from formula or breast milk, they have higher levels of lutein found in their brains. This may speed up cognitive milestones. Children in school may have higher test scores with a diet higher in lutein. The benefits can also continue throughout life as college students with higher levels of lutein seem to have better memory and mental sharpness.

Getting Enough Lutein Through Diet and Supplementation

According to the American Optometric Association, most Western diets are low in lutein. Lutein, as well as the related carotenoid zeaxanthin, are found in leafy green vegetables like spinach and some other foods like eggs. Good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin include:

kale: 1 cup cooked has 23.8 mg
spinach: 1 cup cooked has 20.4 mg
collards: 1 cup cooked has 14.6 mg
spinach: 1 cup raw has 3.8 mg
green peas: 1 cup has 2.2 mg
broccoli: 1 cup cooked has 1.6 mg
eggs: 1 large eggs have 0.3 mg

Lutein is also available alone in soft-gel capsule form or as a part of some natural supplement formulas. When taken as a supplement, lutein should be taken at mealtime as it’s absorbed best when ingested with some fat. A dose of 6 mg to 30 mg per day is recommended.

New Link Between Lutein and Inflammation Hints at Heart Health Benefits

Jul 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Heart disease is the leading cause of early death; it is estimated that over 17 million people die from heart disease every year. The rates of heart disease are on the rise; experts believe that by 2030, over 23 million people will die of heart disease yearly.

One of the most common forms of heart disease is known as coronary heart disease. This condition develops due to a process called atherosclerosis which is when fatty deposits build up in your arteries. This causes the arteries to become more narrow and stiff, impeding the normal flow of blood. Possible complications of coronary heart disease include angina, which is a pain in the chest, and heart failure, which is often fatal. Atherosclerosis by itself costs $448 billion every year in healthcare. However, advancements in our medical understanding of atherosclerosis have revealed that the detrimental process is not only due to fatty buildup but also has a prominent inflammatory aspect to it.

The Link Between Lutein and Inflammation

Lutein is a compound that imparts a yellowish color to certain foods. Dietary sources of lutein include broccoli, carrots, corn, kale, oranges, peas, spinach, yellow and orange peppers and egg yolk. Recently, researchers at Linköping University in Sweden published a study in the journal Atherosclerosis that suggests lutein can help mitigate inflammation. Specifically, the study looked at this yellow pigment’s effects on inflammation in heart disease patients. This finding may prove very useful to millions of people who have cardiovascular problems or who are at an elevated risk for them.

Researchers conducted the study by recruiting 193 volunteers with coronary artery disease. They measured the participants’ blood lutein levels as well as their levels of an inflammation marker known as interleukin-6. Upon analysis of the data, the scientists found that the higher your levels of lutein, the lower your inflammation marker levels will be. This suggests that starting to consume more lutein could positively affect inflammation that already exists.

Though more research is needed, there is some potential that lutein’s ability to promote healthy inflammatory processes could also be helpful for inflammatory disorders like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

The Additional Benefits of Lutein

Along with other dietary nutrients like folic acid and fiber, lutein is beneficial to the health of your blood vessels. One study looked at the effects of lutein on 65 people who had “early atherosclerosis,” which is atherosclerosis in a person under the age of 59. Researchers administered either lutein or placebo to the volunteers every day for three months. Blood samples were taken before and after lutein treatment to measure blood levels of the compound.

As with the previously-mentioned study, this study found that lutein decreased levels of inflammatory marker interleukin-6. Researchers also found that levels of another inflammatory marker, MCP-1, were also decreased. Some other benefits of lutein that this study discovered include a 9.4 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol and a 34.6 percent decrease in blood triglycerides.

Lutein may play an important role in eye health. Lutein, among other pigments, protect your eyes’ retinal cells from damaging blue light. Getting plenty of lutein in your diet could help prevent or even treat macular degeneration, an age-related eye disorder that leads to loss of vision. Specifically, eating two to four eggs a day has been shown to increase levels of lutein in your eyes.

Plant-Derived Compounds Similar to Lutein

Besides lutein, there are many plant pigments that provide health benefits. Many of these, including lutein, belong to a family called carotenoids. Carotenoids include such beneficial compounds as beta-carotene and lycopene.

Good sources of beta-carotene include:

apricots
broccoli
butternut squash
cantaloupe
carrots
kale
peas
red peppers
spinach
sweet potato

Some examples of lycopene sources are:

asparagus
carrots
grapefruit
guava
mango
papaya
red cabbage
red peppers
tomato
watermelon

Though lutein was the only carotenoid found to have benefits relating to inflammation, the other carotenoids have their own advantages. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that may slow cognitive decline and may help preserve lung strength in older adults. Lycopene is also an antioxidant, and research suggests it may have benefits for eye, brain, heart and bone health.

The Importance of a Plant-Rich Diet

The various antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are of great importance. For optimum health, it’s best to make sure you consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day. This way you can receive a wide variety of antioxidants and beneficial compounds, as well as vitamins and minerals. Experts recommend that you eat four to five servings of vegetables as well as four to five servings of fruit daily. Try to eat some from each color group—red, orange and yellow, dark green, light green and blue and purple.

Research on Vitamins and Sleep Links Vitamins A, B12 and D to Healthy Circadian Rhythm

Jun 24 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Disordered sleep is a common and growing public health problem affecting 50-70 million people in the United States. While part of this is due to the business of modern life, there also appear to be other factors at play. At the same time, many Americans suffer from vitamin deficiencies due to poor diet and depleted food. Could these two issues be related? New chronobiology research on the link between vitamins and sleep suggest taking a multivitamin may be an important part of maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm.

Vitamin D: How the Sunlight Vitamin Regulates Circadian Rhythm

There has long been a suspected link between vitamin D and sleep, whereas many people who are deficient in this vitamin suffered from fatigue, insomnia and other indications of a circadian disorder. According to new studies, this is due to the role of vitamin D in the transcription of genes related to the circadian rhythm.

It is well known that sunlight is one of the major cues for our sleep-wake cycle. Previous research has shown that this is at least partially due to its effect on our hypothalamus, which cues the release of the sleep hormone in the absence of light cues from the eyes. However, vitamin D also may be part of the way that sunlight regulates the circadian rhythm. Vitamin D is synthesized when the ultraviolet rays of the sun interact with proteins in our skin cells. In turn, this vitamin D activates certain circadian genes. If you are not getting enough vitamin D, your body may be losing one of its ways of determining whether it is day or night and sleep disorders may ensue.

Seeing the Light

When it comes to vitamins and sleep, vitamin A appears to affect the circadian rhythm in a different but just as crucial way. Vitamin A is very important to maintaining good vision. This includes differentiating light from dark. As mentioned before, your eyes’ perception of light is crucial to maintaining appropriate melatonin cycles and thus a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Without the ability to perceive light, your brain may release melatonin throughout the day, making you sleepy and fatigued. It ends up that the cells in your eyes that are responsible for perceiving light levels are especially dependent on vitamin A.

Even if you can see well, the parts of your eyes that perceive light levels, known as rhodopsins, may not be getting enough vitamin A to function correctly. In fact, night blindness and sleep disorders may be the first signs of a deficiency. If you have trouble sleeping, your diet may be a partial cause. This may be the first sign of a vitamin A deficiency that is having less-noticeable negative effects on your health.

B Vitamins and Sleep

B vitamins are well known for contributing to our energy levels. This is partially due to their role as cofactors in metabolic reactions. However, there may be a second reason that you feel tired when you don’t get enough of this broad class of vitamins. Studies have found that people sleep better and have more REM sleep when given B vitamin supplements. We also know that B vitamins are important in the synthesis of hormones related to sleep and circadian rhythm, such as serotonin.

Vitamin B12 appears to have an especially important role in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. People who take a vitamin B12 supplement report better sleep and also have higher levels of melatonin metabolites in their urine at night. They also have decreased melatonin levels during the day, suggesting that B12 helps the body to maintain better control over their sleep-wake cycle. Taking a supplement of this vitamin has also been found to help treat jet lag and other common circadian disorders.

Getting the Vitamins You Need for a Healthy Circadian Rhythm

If you are interested in sleeping better—and who isn’t?—getting enough vitamins may be an easy first step. Many people in the West have lower than optimal levels of nutrients, in part due to depleted soil. However, there are many supplements and multivitamins on the market that can help you to get enough of all of the nutrients you need. While it is important to eat a varied diet and to get as many vitamins as possible from your food, many people cannot get enough vitamins without taking a multivitamin. In addition, getting enough sunlight is important to metabolizing vitamin D, as well as to maintaining healthy melatonin levels. If you wear sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight to prevent skin cancer, an additional supplement of vitamin D may be necessary.

Many chronic diseases have been found to be linked to vitamin deficiencies. New research suggests that sleep disorders may also be caused by not getting the nutrients we need. Eating a healthy diet and taking supplements as needed to keep vitamin levels high is one of the most important things you can do to maintain optimal health and a healthy circadian rhythm.

Ingredients for Healthy Vision Help You See Clearly into the Golden Years

Mar 29 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Most people view changes in vision as inevitable parts of aging. However, there are natural ingredients for healthy vision that may be able to protect against, slow or even reverse certain age-related vision problems.

We depend on our vision for a variety of tasks and may even take it for granted. From driving to shopping to enjoying artwork, our eyes are in many ways the unsung heroes of modern life. However, many people do not take steps to protect their vision and eyesight until it is too late. If you are interested in maintaining your vision for a lifetime, there are a few ingredients for healthy vision that should be a part of your diet or supplement regimen. It is possible to enjoy good eyesight over a long and healthy life with the right nutrition and preventative care.

Natural Building Blocks and Ingredients for Good Vision

Exactly what nutrients and vitamins help to sustain good vision? Several research studies have given us a solid idea about which natural ingredients work best. Macular degeneration is one of the major causes of vision loss associated with aging. Over years and decades, most people develop yellow deposits in their maculae, that are called drusen. We know from several studies that antioxidant vitamins can protect against much of the damage from macular degeneration by preventing these deposits of drusen. These antioxidants include vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, zinc and copper. In fact, when these vitamins are taken together, they have been found to reduce rates of macular degeneration by around 25 percent, in addition to their other health benefits.

Resveratrol, an antioxidant naturally found in red wine and red grapes, also appears to help preserve vision by helping to protect against macular degeneration. However, this compound attacks the problem in a different manner—by working to prevent the abnormal growth of blood vessels that often accompanies macular degeneration. When cells in the eye begin to degenerate, the body compensates by forming new blood vessels to supply nutrients. However, these vessels themselves end up blocking vision. Resveratrol and other antioxidants appear to stop the new blood vessels from forming as quickly, reducing long-term damage to vision. As a benefit, antioxidants are also good for heart health and have a wide range of other health benefits as well.

Supplements for Eye Health and Good Vision

In addition to antioxidants, there are a wide range of supplements that can be taken to promote good vision for a lifetime. The combination of lutein and zeaxanthin also appears to protect against age-related damage to eyes. Because both lutein and zeaxanthin compounds filter out wavelengths of light that are most damaging to eyes, they can help to protect against the development of cataracts in addition to reducing the risk of macular degeneration. For this reason, they have long been included in supplements intended to support good eye health.

Lycopene and bilberry are two other supplements that have been found to prevent damage to eyes and preserve healthy vision. Lycopene, a compound naturally found in tomatoes and tomato products, has antioxidant benefits that can prevent aging in eyes. Bilberry is a more recent discovery. This small fruit, also known as the Chinese blueberry, has been found in studies to improve visual acuity and even night vision, two types of vision that often deteriorate as we age. It also may protect vision in people with glaucoma.

This is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, Take Care of Your Vision

Why all this focus on vision? Most people wish to keep clear eyesight as long as we can. In addition, March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, a time to focus on preventing eye damage and preserving good vision. In addition to taking ingredients for healthy vision listed above to help protect against age-related damage, there are several things you can do to preserve your vision in the workplace and beyond. These include:

Visit your eye doctor annually for a dilated eye exam to identify and treat early vision changes.
Change lighting on computers and other devices to reduce glare. Glare filters also can be helpful.
Place screens 20 to 26 inches away from the eyes, the distance that generally reduces strain.
Take 20-second breaks to look at an object 20 feet away after every 20 minutes of reading. This is called the 20-20-20 rule.
Use correct eye protection gear as required by the standards of your profession.

By following these recommendations, you can help prevent the damage that a lifetime of work and artificial lighting can do to the delicate tissues of your eyes. We depend on our eyes not just for work, but for leisure as well. Vision is too important to take for granted.

These ingredients for healthy vision and eye preserving tips should help you to keep your eyesight as clear as possible for decades to come. While some age-related damage cannot be avoided, we can do many things to slow or stop the sands of time.

Exposure to Blue Light Could Be Damaging Your Vision

Mar 06 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Do you spend a lot of time under artificial lights or even just staring at screens? It could be taking a toll on your eye health and vision. New studies have found a link between exposure to blue light and eye damage.

Artificial light is ubiquitous in the modern world. Not only do light bulbs and other artificial lighting sources illuminate indoor and outdoor spaces at all times of day and night, but many people are also exposed to light on computers, smartphones and other devices. This constant exposure to light is a form of pollution—light pollution—that has been found to cause serious health problems and disrupt circadian rhythms. New research on blue light and eye damage suggests that it may be bad for our vision as well.

The Difference Between Natural and Artificial Light

Humans and other living things evolved to live under an endless cycle of sunlight and darkness. Sunlight is mostly made up of white light, which contains all of the visible colors of the light spectrum. This is the reason that light beaming through a prism creates a rainbow. Artificial light, however, tends to be mainly from the blue wavelength of light. As mankind has begun to spend most of our lives indoors and an increasing amount of time in front of devices, we have increased our exposure to blue lights.

How does this change in light wavelength affect our health? According to numerous studies, the increase in exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin production, which in turn can lead to a wide variety of health problems. However, this blue light also may have a negative effect on our eyesight as well.

The Link Between Blue Light and Eye Damage

As we age, the cells in our eyes gradually become damaged and slowly deteriorate. This leads to an increase in sight problems such as macular degeneration, a disorder in which the cells of the retina that are responsible for vision lose their ability to see. Melanin, a pigment that gives our hair and skin color, protects retinal cells from some of this damage. However, we lose melanin as we age, leaving our eyes increasingly prone to damage from light. High energy blue light, the kind emitted by high-efficiency light bulbs and electronic devices, does the most damage to these delicate cells.

People who are exposed to high levels of blue light on a regular basis are more likely to suffer from a variety of vision problems. You have probably noticed that you suffer from eye strain after reading from a screen for an extended period of time. However, this is just the beginning. High exposure to blue light has also been found in several recent studies to increase the risk of macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye diseases. The effects are so great that optometrists now recommend eye protection from blue light as standard preventative eye care.

Protecting Your Vision From Blue Light

There are ways that we can protect our eyesight to support good vision over a long lifetime. Experts recommend wearing sunglasses and hats when we are in bright light, whether this is indoor or outdoor lighting. Limiting screen time is also an important way to protect your eyes. It is especially important to limit exposure to blue light in the hours before sleep so your body can begin to produce and release melatonin. Choose a paperback rather than a tablet or e-reader for your bedtime reading. Use traditional white light bulbs rather than energy efficient LED lighting in rooms where you spend your late evening hours.

It is possible to reduce exposure to high-energy blue light, but eliminating it altogether is not possible for many people. Many people work in environments where blue light in the form of lighting and screens is simply a fact of life. There are special eyeglasses that filter out blue light to reduce strain and damage, but it is also important to address the problem with good nutrition.

Supporting Good Vision From the Inside Out

Because melanin protects your eyes from some of the damaging effects of blue light, oxidative damage to melanin in your retinas is a huge risk factor for eye disease. Supplements that contain certain antioxidant nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin have been found to support good eye health by reducing oxidative damage to retinal cells. Taking a multivitamin is also important, as vitamin E and other nutrients act as potent antioxidants throughout our bodies.

Even if you avoid screens and electronic devices, it is difficult to eliminate exposure to blue light and eye damage that may result. Modern offices, stores and even schools are lit with bulbs emitting mainly this wavelength of light. However, common sense lifestyle changes along with supplements supporting good eye health will reduce vision damage for many people who cannot avoid exposure. While some eye damage is natural in aging, we should do everything we can to maintain good vision and whole body health throughout our lifetimes.

Plant Compound Lutein Linked to Cognitive Health and Intelligence

Jan 19 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New studies linking lutein and brain health suggest that getting enough of certain plant compounds like lutein is essential to intelligence and cognitive function.

Modern research is beginning to shed light on the importance of getting good nutrition as a means of staying healthy and preventing disease. Medications and surgeries are certainly important treatments, but many people would prefer to stay healthy in the first place by making simple lifestyle changes. While most people know about the importance of vitamins C and E, it appears that carotenoids — in particular the plant compound lutein — may also play a critical role. If you want your brain to function at its best, it is important to get enough of this little-known nutrient.

What Is Lutein?

Lutein and its related compound zeaxanthin are found in many plant foods. It is related to vitamin A and, like this vitamin, appears to play an important role in eye health and sight. In particular, it acts as a pigment that filters light entering the eye and thus prevents damage. As though this was not an important enough role, new research indicates that lutein may also have a huge impact on brain health as well.

People with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia have less lutein in their eyes than those without neurodegenerative disease. When their diets were supplemented with lutein in a recent study, elderly people with dementia developed more lutein in their eyes, better vision and also higher cognitive function. Over time, lutein may even affect the architecture of your brain, helping it to remodel and respond to potential outside threats.

This is not the first study to find a link between this eye pigment and cognitive function; other studies have found that lutein makes up a large portion of the carotenoids in children’s brain tissue. Lutein appears to accumulate in human brains and the amount of the accumulation is linked to intelligence. These changes are not just self-reported; they can also be seen in MRIs. People who took lutein had smaller interventricular space and more robust brain tissue than those who went without.

Lutein and Brain Health

Lutein appears to be especially important in building, maintaining, and preserving a type of cognitive function called “crystallized intelligence.” Crystallized intelligence is basically the vault of skills and daily knowledge that you have built over a lifetime. This type of intelligence is especially affected in people with dementia, who often forget mundane daily things such as their dog’s name and how to make a bed properly. Over time, most people with dementia forget how to perform even the simplest tasks and progress to needing full-time caregivers.

Unlike many vitamins, lutein accumulates mainly in the gray matter of our brains. It is present in the cell membranes of your neural cells, scattered throughout the brain tissue that is responsible for conscious thought and decision-making. High levels of lutein in the brain appear to have a neuroprotective effect, keeping people from developing many serious disorders such as dementia. It appears to act as a scaffolding, allowing cells to be more resilient and functional as we go about our daily lives. Older adults who eat diets rich in this nutrient are less likely to develop dementia and also likely to maintain high function over their lifetimes.

Are You Getting Enough Lutein?

If you are concerned about lutein and brain health, there are a few ways to ensure that you get enough of this vital nutrient. First, eat several servings a day of foods rich in lutein, which include:

broccoli
leafy greens such as spinach and kale
zucchini and other squash
corn
orange bell peppers
grapes
kiwi fruit
orange juice
eggs

Be sure to eat these items with fatty foods, as lutein is best absorbed in the presence of higher fat items. In addition, be sure to get enough of these lutein-rich foods on a daily basis because this nutrient takes a while to build up to noticeable levels in the brain. Finally, consider taking a supplement. While many multivitamins on the market contain only a small amount of lutein, it is not usually enough to support optimal brain and eye function. You will likely need to find either a special multivitamin or a way to take a pill under your tongue or via shot for the rest of your life.

Although more research is needed, lutein appears to be one of the most promising natural ways to keep your brain functioning as well as possible over the course of your lifetime. Links between lutein and brain health suggest that this nutrient may be one of the most important factors in maintaining healthy sight and cognitive function over the last decades of your life.