Research

New Study Shows Lutein Improves Visual Function in Those with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

A significant new study showing that lutein improves visual functions in subjects with AMD was published in the April 2004 edition of Optometry: The Journal of the American Optometric Association.

The Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST) was led by Stuart Richer, OD, PhD, a member of ScienceBased Health’s Scientific Advisory Board. The study concluded that visual function of study participants with symptoms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) improved with the intake of lutein alone or lutein together with other antioxidants.

In the study, 30 subjects with AMD were given 10 milligrams of FloraGLO lutein a day. Another 30 subjects were given a supplement containing 10 milligrams of FloraGLO lutein and a combination of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. A placebo was given to a third group of 30. Over the year of the study, those subjects getting either formulation of lutein had a modest increase in visual acuity, while those receiving a placebo became worse. As Dr. Richer states, these findings are unprecedented.

Read the original article on ScienceBasedHealth.com.

The AREDS Clinical Trial

The findings for the Age-Related Disease Study (AREDS) were released in October, 2001. The AREDS clinical trial is being heralded by doctors and nutrition experts as the most significant clinical trial on nutrition and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) ever. Findings of the 6 ½ year AREDS clinical trial, published in the October 2001 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the rate of progression of ARMD in 3,640 patients taking a supplement containing vitamins, antioxidants and zinc.

Read the full text of the AREDS clinical trial on the Archives of Opthalmology website.

Nutrition & Policy

Reversing a longstanding policy on vitamin supplements, the Journal of the American Medical Association announced in June, 2002 that it will begin advising all adults to take at least one multivitamin pill each day.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Reverses Its Position on Vitamin Supplements.

Is eating carrots really good for the eyes, or do moms just say that to inflict the vegetable on their kids? Well, one average-sized carrot contains twice the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, which happens to be very good for your eyes. If you don't like carrots, don't worry, lots of yummy (and some not so yummy) foods contain vitamin A and other nutrients your eyes need.

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