Several nutrients and vitamins such as bilberry and taurine help protect the optic nerve from damage. Glaucoma causes optic nerve damage. Optic neuritis and optic nerve atrophy are serious conditions that harm the optic nerve. Since the optic nerve sends electrical signals from the eye to the brain, any interruption damages vision. How does the optic nerve work? Which diseases damage the optic nerve? What does the research show about how nutrients, foods, and vitamins protect the optic nerve? Taurine, gingko biloba, a fruit called bilberry, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B12 among others have demonstrated their usefulness. Continue reading “Protect the Optic Nerve with Taurine, Bilberry, and More”
Category: Optic neuritis
How to Improve Your Vision Health
People who have advanced eye disease have waited too long to improve their vision health. Keeping the eyes health is a lifetime endeavor. An unhealthy lifestyle and poor nutrition lead to a higher risk of eye diseases. Researchers have linked cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, optic neuropathy, retinal vein occlusions, and other eye conditions to mostly-controllable risk factors. Seniors are especially at risk. Natural Eye Care offers this guide to improving vision health. Continue reading “How to Improve Your Vision Health”
Anti-Inflammatory Vision Diet for the Holidays
Inflammation is a factor in many eye diseases, and what you eat affects inflammation. Whenever major holidays comes along, we are tempted to eat special foods. Many of these treats are high in calories and sugar, which contribute to inflammation. While you don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, you can choose to eat foods that are anti-inflammatory. At the end of this article, you will find tips for limiting the damage while still enjoying the holiday. Continue reading “Anti-Inflammatory Vision Diet for the Holidays”
Age-Proofing Your Eyes to Preserve Vision
While Americans spend billions of dollars each year on how they LOOK, little attention is given to how they SEE. Seniors are especially vulnerable to eye diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts, as well as hypertension-related eye damage such as retinal vein occlusion.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology issued guidelines on aging and the eye as a result of its 2015 Eye-Q© Survey1 (updated with 2016 data).
Here is a summary of their recommendations.
Continue reading “Age-Proofing Your Eyes to Preserve Vision”
Optic Neuritis: A Complete Overview from Natural Eye Care
Optic neuritis is swelling and inflammation of the optic nerve that can cause eye pain, visual impairment, dull colors, and/or flashing lights. Since the optic nerve carries visual information to the brain, any symptoms of optic neuritis should be checked by a doctor immediately. If a patient has just one incident, chances are good that they will fully recover. However, inflammation of the optic nerve can be the first sign of multiple sclerosis, a serious degenerative disease.
One of the dangers of this problem is that the optic nerve can lose some of its myelin. The myelin sheath is fatty tissue that protects the nerves. When the myelin sheath is compromised, the nerves can be damaged. This is one important reason to consult Continue reading “Optic Neuritis: A Complete Overview from Natural Eye Care”
MSM Fights More Than Inflammation
Methylsulfonylmethane, known as MSM, is commonly utilized in the form of MSM eyedrops or powder in vcaps to be taken as a supplement. It is well known for its anti-inflammatory capacity, documented by researchers. Scientists are documenting substantiating research and finding new uses.
Anti-Inflammation
MSM inhibits inflammasomes, which are protein formations that stimulate production of lymphocytes (white blood cells). It also inhibits the activity of ‘pro-cytokines’ which promote inflammation throughout the body, creating health-damaging fevers and causing tissue death and shock.1 This effect of MSM is useful in reducing the tissue swelling that damages the optic nerve, causes eye soreness of dry eyes and Sjogrens syndrome and other inflammatory-related conditions.
MRI Identifies Optic Neuritis Lesion Location for Better Prognosis
Researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Hospital in Germany have determined that advanced MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can assist in accurately diagnosing optic nerve health – in particular, optic neuritis and the prognosis for short-term recovery and decision as to the most appropriate therapies.
Optic neuritis is a potentially serious inflammation of the optic nerve, sometimes accompanied by loss or damage to the myelin sheath that surrounds the optic nerve. It is most often experienced by younger adults, and whose symptoms can include pain, vision changes in perception of color, light/dark perception, and blurriness. It can come on suddenly and often is of short duration with full recovery in 90% of patients.
Continue reading “MRI Identifies Optic Neuritis Lesion Location for Better Prognosis”
Notable People Who Have Vision Conditions
Even VIPs have eye conditions. Here’s an interesting collection of ten notables who have serious vision conditions, and who have made a success of their lives nonetheless!
1. Steve Wynn: Las Vegas casino developer and the owner of such resorts as the Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, Bellagio, The Mirage, et cetera. Wynn has developed retinitis pigmentosa which includes progressive degeneration of the photoreceptor cells of the retina. Such degeneration results in poor night vision, light to dark adaption and impaired peripheral vision. Mr. Wynn recently partnered with the University of Iowa to establish the Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research. He donated $25 million to help the university find a cure for blinding eye diseases.
2. Jon Wellner: American actor with the recurring role as toxicologist Henry Andrews in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Wellner also has retinitis pigmentosa which has not yet impacted his work. He does however wear glasses. Not only does he continue to act but he also owns his own research company that does research for CSI: Miami, Bones, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and others. Continue reading “Notable People Who Have Vision Conditions”
What is Optic Neuritis?
Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve that most often strikes young people aged 18-45. It is often accompanied by demyelination of the optic nerve. Demylenation is a loss of some of the fatty covering, called the myelin sheath, that protects the nerve and helps it conduct signals. While most people who develop optic neuritis recover their vision without treatment, a doctor must be consulted. This condition can lead to permanent damage of the optic nerve, creating partial or total blindness or holes in the visual field.
Symptoms
Symptoms typically include pain (in 92% Continue reading “What is Optic Neuritis?”
Juicing Tips – What combinations of fruits & vegetables would be best to juice?
Juicing Tips
We consider daily juicing of primarily organic vegetables and fruits to be an essential part of any long term healing program. Juicing provides a highly effective and efficient way for the body to be able to absorb essential nutrients into the blood and cells, taking a little as a few minutes for the body to start utilizing these nutrients.
Why is juicing so important?
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- What are enzymes? The basic key to the efficacy of nourishing your body is the life present in food and of those intangible elements known as enzymes.
- Why not just eat fruits and vegetables for our essential nutrients? Solid food requires many hours of digestive activity before its nourishment is finally available to the cells and tissues of the body.
- Can juicing prevent disease? Many studies point out that a diet high in fruits and vegetables does in fact reduce the incidents of serious disease.
- Do vegetables contain protein? Although fruits and vegetables do not contain large quantities of protein, their juice can be a convenient carrier.
- What are phytochemicals? They are substances in plants that are linked to good health and to prevention of specific diseases. They are found only in fruits and vegetables, and juicing is a great way to get them.
- How much juice can be taken safely? As much as one can drink comfortably without forcing oneself. Recommended amount of juice per day is at least 1 pint per day. Some healing centers actually do 2-8 pints per day for therapeutic purposes.
- Can I store the juice I make? Juices should generally be drunk when prepared, since certain enzymes and vitamins break down pretty quickly in sunlight.
- What combinations of fruits and vegetables would be best to juice? There are many different recipes See more info …, but in general at least 50-75% of the juicing should consist of greens (spinach, kale, chard, parsley, dandelion, watercress, broccoli, etc.)
- Can I still continue to eat fast food and sugar products? These should be kept to an absolute minimum as they use our precious resources to breakdown and digest, offering little in the way of healthy nutrients.
- Should I use only organic products? In general, yes. By juicing all non-organic products, we stand the chance of taking in concentrated amounts of pesticides used on the plants, thereby negating the value of daily juicing.
- What juicer should I use? There are a number of excellent juicers. We like the pulp extracting omega juicers that juice without generating heat that can destroy some of the essential nutrients. At 80 RPM (most juicers work at 3600 RPM and higher), it essentially masticates the fruits and vegetables slowly, preserving the most nutrients possible. The disadvantage is that the process is a little slower, and cleaning takes a couple of more minutes.
- What are enzymes? The basic key to the efficacy of nourishing your body is the life present in food and of those intangible elements known as enzymes.
What are enzymes?
The basic key to the efficacy of nourishing your body is the life present in food and of those intangible elements known as enzymes. Enzymes are complex substances that enable us to digest food and absorb it into our blood. They are the body’s ‘working force’ that act as catalysts for many essential life functions, such as separating the nitrogen from the air we breath, so we may absorb the oxygen. They act as catalysts in probably millions of chemical reactions that take place throughout the body. They are essential for the digestion and absorption of the food we eat and drink … for conversion of food to body tissue, and for the production of energy at the cellular level.
Enzymes become sluggish at cooking temperatures above 118 degrees, and are destroyed at temperatures above 130 degrees (microwaves completely destroy enzymes in your food).
Fresh juices are a wonderful source of enzymes. Food which has been cooked at temperatures above 118 simply don’t have the properly functioning enzymes to allow you to enjoy the full benefits of their nutrients.
Why not just eat fruits and vegetables for our essential nutrients?
Solid food requires many hours of digestive activity before its nourishment is finally available to the cells and tissues of the body. While fibers in foods are essential for helping cleanse our digestive tract, the removal of fibers in the extraction of juices allows essential nutrients to be absorbed within minutes instead of hours, and with little effort by our body.
Do vegetables contain protein?
Although fruits and vegetables do not contain large quantities of protein, their juice can be a convenient carrier. Simply add some brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, or whole grains to whatever you’re juicing. These give you protein without the fat that meat contains, and protein that is quickly and easily absorbed by the body.
What to Juice?
There are many different recipes but in general at least 50-75% of the juicing should consist of greens: spinach, kale, chard, parsley, dandelion, watercress, broccoli, etc.
Sample Juicing Recipes for Specific Eye Conditions
Cataracts, Conjunctivitis
We recommend carrot, spinach, celery, endive, parsley, blueberry, apple – not too much fruit.
Glaucoma
We recommend celery, carrots, cucumber, radish, turnip, parsley, beets, cabbage, raspberries, plums, apple (not too much fruit).
Macular Degeneration
We recommend broccoli, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, apples, raspberries, leafy greens
Best’s Disease
We recommend daily juicing of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic) – some combination of the following: ginger, garlic, leeks, parsley, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, spinach, apples, grapes, raspberries, lemon, chlorophyll, wheat grasses (not too much fruit). See the discussion of best’s disease for other points
Optic Neuritis
We recommend: ginger, parsley, beets, cabbage, carrots, endive, chlorophyll, wheat grasses, berries (all organic preferably)
Other Conditions
Peptic Ulcers – cabbage juice promotes rapid healing of patients with peptic ulcers
Urinary Tract Infections – cranberry juice is well known to help with bladder and urinary tract infections
Heart Disease – also well known is the beneficial effect of pomegranate juice. Antioxidants (compounds that limit cell damage by fighting free radicals) contained in pomegranate juice may help reduce the formation of fatty deposits on artery walls. The antioxidant level in pomegranate juice was found to be higher than that in other natural juices, such as blueberry, cranberry, and orange juices.
Resources
N.W. Walker, D.Sc. “Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices: what’s missing in your body?”
Michael T. Murray, N.D. “The Complete Book of Juicing”
Paul Pitchford, N.D. “Healing with Whole Foods”
Research on peptic ulcers & cabbage juice
Research on UTI & cranberry juice