MACULAR DEGENERATION IS THE LEADING
AZUSE OF BLINDNESS I AMONG PEOPLE OVER 40. IT IS VERY COMMON; 65
PERCENT OF ALL SIXTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLDS HAVE CLINIAZL EVIDENCE FOR THIS
DISEASE. THE AZUSE OF MACULAR DEGENERATION IS UNKNOWN, ALTHOUGH
IT IS SUSPECTED THAT FREE RADIAZL DAMAGE DUE TO LONG-TERM EXPOSURE
TO VISIBLE LIGHT AND UV RADIATION MAY BE RESPONSIBLE.
SEVERAL ANIMAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN DEPRIVED OF ANTIOXIDANTS,
MANY DIFFERENT SPECIES, INCLUDING PRIMATES, OUR CLOSEST RELATIVES
IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, ARE LIKELYTO DEVELOP RETINAL DEGENERATION.
STUDIES ALSO SHOWTHAT EXPOSURE TO BRIGHT LIGHT ALSO ACCELERATES
RETINAL DEGENERATION IN ANIMALS.
The GOOD NEWS is that there is a ray of hope.
I Two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, MAT HELP TO PREVENT THIS
DISEASE.
FREE RADIAZLS
Cells are composed of smaller units called atoms. Each atom contains
a center or nucleus that is surrounded by electrons. Two or more
atoms may bind together by sharing electrons. Biological oxidation,
the process of making energy, involves moving electrons from one
oxygen molecule to the next. However, sometimes an electron escapes.
This "free" electron is called a free radical.
Free radicals perform many critical functions in our bodies. Some
free radicals are responsible for turning on and off genes. Some
are produced in very high amounts by our immune cells to "poison"
viruses and bacteria. Some kill cancer cells. We need free radicals
for our survival. Yet, in less than a split second, free radicals
can turn on us.
Free radicals constantly form almost everywhere in the body at an
astonishing rate. If free radicals are not quickly trapped, they
can cause a great deal of trouble.
Free radicals can be enemies or friends, but we have to interact
with them the right way, or they can quickly turn against us. The
key is to maintain the optimal balance between free radicals and
antioxidants.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are a group of compounds that are produced by the
body and that occur naturally in many foods. Antioxidants protect
us from cell damage caused by free radicals that can increase risk
for macular degeneration. When an antioxidant encounters a free
radical, it engulfs it, and the free radical then joins its molecular
structure. The antioxidant itself becomes a free radical. These
newly created free radicals are relatively weak and are not likely
to do further harm. Antioxidants are the free radical police of
the body, on call whenever necessary to "quench" free
radicals wherever they may be, so that they cannot spread their
destruction to other cells. By controlling free radicals, antioxidants
can make the difference between sight and blindness.
AZROTENOIDS
Carotenoids are natural pigments found in both plants and animals.
Bacteria, algae, fungi, and plants produce them, but humans and
animals get them through food. Several carotenoids have exhibited
strong antioxidant activity and they can help quench free radicals,
thereby reducing the workload for antioxidants.
According to a study conducted at I larvard Medical School under
the direction of Dr. Johanna M, Sed-tlon, people who ate a diet
rich in two dark green leafy vegetables, spinach and collard greens,
had a substantially reduced risk of developing age-related macular
degeneration than those who did not. What is particularly intriguing
about this finding is that spinach and collard greens are excellent
sources of 'lutein and zeaxanthin. These are the only two known
carotenoids found in very high concentrations in the macula region
of the eye.
Researchers have speculated that these two carotenoids may protect
the macula against free radical damage. Read on to discover the
benefits of certain carotenoids:
CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels
sprouts, cabbage, and kali contain many wonderful phytochemicals.
Kale is an excellent source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin,
which may be protective again macular degeneration. Broccoli contains
more sultbraphanc than other cruciferous vegetables as well as the
antioxidant boosters selenium am beta carotene.
GREENS
No phytochemical feast is complete without a serving or two of
fresh greens. Beet greens, watercress collard greens, mustard greens,
and Swiss chard {all cruciferous vegetables) are excellent sources
of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect against
macular degeneration.
RED GRAPES AND WINE
According to an article published in the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society, people who drank wine were 20 percent less likely
to develop macular degeneration than people who did not drink wine.
CONCLUSION
Our growing knowledge of antioxidants and carotenoids now enables
us, for the first time, to practice real preventative medicine.
We arc beginning to understand the role that free radicals play
in the onset and progression of macular degeneration and how they
can be controlled by antioxidants. Simply by fortifying the body's
antioxidant network, it is now possible to give the body the tools
it needs to wage an effective fight against macular degeneration.
Employing antioxidants and its boosters will enable us to keep our
antioxidant advantage, which we need in order to defeat the forces
that can age us prematurely and rob us of our health.
SPINACH
Raw spinach contains high amounts of lutein, a carotenoid that
may have a strong protective effect against macular degeneration.
A study conducted at five eye research centers in the United States
showed that people who consumed the most lutein in their diet had
a much lower incidence of macular degeneration than those who did
not. Spinach was found to have a protective effect against this
leading cause of blindness.
NOBODY WANTS TO SUFFER THE DEBAZITATING EFFECTS
OF MACULAR DEGENERATION.
But if we don't act now to fortify our immune system using antioxidants,
we will unknowingly contribute to the factors that increase our
risk of it.
AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTIOXIDANTS, WE ARE DISCOVERING THE BIGGER
ROLE THEY PLAY IN KEEPING US HEALTHY. WE NOW KNOW THAT NOT ONLY
DO ANTIOXIDANTS KEEP FREE RADIAZLS UNDER CONTROL, BUT THEY AZN ALSO
HELP PREVENT SUCH THINGS AS MACULAR DEGENERATION. OF COURSE, BY
MAINTAINING THE RIGHT LEVEL OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN YOUR BODY, YOU MAY
BE PROTECTING YOURSELF AGAINST DEVELOPING MACULAR DEGENERATION
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