Lutein: Good News For Sufferers Of Age Related Macula Degeneration

One of the most typical forms of vision loss is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disorder of the centre of the retina, called the macula. As the name of the disorder implies, age is the primary risk factor, with people over 60 being at the greatest risk.

In previous e-alerts I've told you about nutrients and supplements that have been shown to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Now new evidence in two recent studies indicates that lutein - an antioxidant and one of the pigments in the macula - may not only help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but may also help improve visual function for those with early and even advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Lutein cocktail
In the first study, US researchers at the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Medical Centre Eye Clinic in Chicago, recruited 90 subjects with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). (There are two varieties of the disorder: dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and the more debilitating wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in which blood vessels begin to grow in the macula.)

As reported in the April 2004 issue of the journal Optometry, the subjects were divided into three groups and randomly assigned to receive 10 mg of lutein daily, or 10 mg of lutein combined with other nutrients that are known to enhance vision health (such as bilberry, zinc, quercetin, N-acetylcysteine, and others), or a placebo.

Over a one-year test period, several measurements were taken. Changes in macular pigment optical density (MPOD) were recorded (low density of macular pigment is considered a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration); contrast sensitivity was evaluated; and visual perception was assessed with eye chart examinations.

At the end of the trial, the Chicago team found clear improvements in both the lutein and the lutein-plus-nutrients group, but no noteworthy changes in the placebo group. Most significantly, even subjects with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) showed improvement with the additional lutein intake. The researchers stress that larger and longer studies are needed to confirm their findings.

Just in from Singapore
Another lutein study was reported last month in the July issue of the journal Experimental Eye Research. And although this small, brief study didn't exactly fit the scope of what the Chicago team called for in the conclusion to their research, it still serves to confirm the effectiveness of lutein for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Singapore Polytechnic researchers tested a group of seven older subjects with early stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and six subjects of the same age with healthy eyesight. Each subject received 10 mg of lutein supplements daily for 18 to 20 weeks.

Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and plasma concentrations of lutein were measured before and after the study. The MPOD average increased significantly in both groups as lutein levels rose. Researchers concluded that even a diseased macula may accumulate and synthesise lutein effectively, while people with healthy macula reap benefits from lutein as well.

The Popeye connection
It's not really news that lutein is good for the eyes. But the emerging evidence that lutein may help restore visual function in those with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is very encouraging. The daily 10 mgs of lutein used in both the Chicago and Singapore studies can be obtained in just two ounces of spinach. Other good dietary sources include eggs, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, oranges, lettuce, and celery. Many supplemental formulas that support vision health also contain lutein.

Of course, the best way to address age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is to take steps to prevent it before it begins. I've told you before about a clinical trial called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) sponsored by the National Eye Institute. For more than eight years, researchers tracked nearly 3,600 participants between the ages of 55 and 80 to examine the effects that antioxidant supplements have on age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The results: High levels of zinc and antioxidants were shown to significantly reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and the same supplements (if administered in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration) may also significantly inhibit the total amount of vision loss that would normally be caused by advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The AREDS team recommended that anyone at high risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) should consider taking the daily supplements in these amounts used in the study:

• Vitamin C - 500 mg
• Vitamin E - 400 IU
• Beta-carotene - 15 mg
• Zinc (as zinc oxide) - 80 mg
• Copper (as cupric oxide) - 2 mg