Blog

Preliminary research shows that a regular yoga practice can help stroke patients recover more effectively.

A study of 20 stroke survivors of an average age of 66 engaged in twice weekly yoga classes for two months.  It was found that the participants balance improved.  Researchers also found that a practice of yoga could help prevent potentially dangerous falls.

On the whole, balance scores increased by 17% on the Berg Balance Scale and by 34% on the Fullerton Balance Scale.  It is important to not that the average score was upped from 40 to 47 on the Berg Balance Scale, which means that the individuals were no longer on the “high risk” list when it comes to falls.
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Omega-3 fatty acids are known to help the heart and they have also been found to help defend against eye diseases like macular degeneration.

A study by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine shows that omega-3 fatty acids could also help people struggling with alcohol addiction or psychiatric disorders.  According to scientists, the DHA in the fatty acid was responsible for “normalizing behavior” in mice.  When taking DHA, mice were less likely to become depressed or manic when placed under stress.  Unexpectedly, the mice also lost their taste for alcohol when consuming DHA supplements.
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US government scientists realize the important role that nutrition plays in the health of the eyes.

Cataracts are caused by an accumulation of free radicals that cloud the lens of the eye through a process called oxidation.  Antioxidants, these researchers agree, “are compounds in foods that help maintain healthy cells and tissues in the eye and other organs.”  Prime sources of antioxidants include: leafy greens, eggs, blueberries, and bilberries.

In a study of almost 500 middle aged and older women, it was discovered that those who consumed more riboflavin, folate, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamins C and E were less likely to suffer from cataract symptoms than did those who consumes the least amounts of these nutrients.
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Researchers, specifically a group at Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center, are understanding the connection between diabetic retinopathy and proteins present in the eyes.  In a 2007 study, scientists describe how they found a group of proteins that they believe are responsible for causing the leakage from blood vessels that marks diabetic retinopathy.  They found that these proteins were also the cause of swelling in the eyes, a discovery that could have an impact on research related to cerebral swelling caused by head injuries and strokes.  Figuring out the role of proteins in this condition opens up new treatment avenues for both eye diseases and brain injuries and conditions.
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Inflammation and Diabetic Retinopathy

At Natural Eye Care, we know that eye conditions are often related to diseases that affect the entire body.  At a conference last year, Clement Trempe, MD reminded colleagues to consider the role of overall inflammation when diagnosing patients with diabetic retinopathy.

According to Dr. Trempe, “Diabetic retinopathy is not an eye disease, but part of a chronic systemic inflammatory disease process that shares the same risk factors and elevated biomarkers associated with coronary vascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and Alzheimer’s.”
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As we know well at Natural Eye Care, taking care of dry eye syndrome is about more than just using eye drops.  In fact, it may never be about using eye drops.

An article over at PCON Supersite discusses some oral treatments for dry eyes. We recommend that our patients evaluate their diet and lifestyle choices and make some necessary changes as well as take the right dietary supplements.

Not only our eyes, but the entire body need essential fatty acids in the form of omega-6s and omega-3s.  Omega-6s help fight inflammation that can be an underlying cause of dry eyes and omega-3s make it possible for the body to use the fats in omega-6s.
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A new study confirms earlier findings that indicate that consuming red and processed meats increases one’s risk of developing colorectal cancer.  The study also strengthens previous assertions that fiber rich foods help protect people from colorectal cancer.

This evidence underlines the preventable nature of colorectal cancer, since it is so attributable to diet.  According to Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD, who served on the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research’s Continuous Update Project (CUP) Expert Panel that authored the report “About 45 percent of colorectal cancer cases could be prevented if we all ate more fiber-rich plant foods and less meat, drank less alcohol, moved more and stayed lean.”
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A new study finds that driving skills decline with age, even if they have previously clean driving records and showed no signs of dementia. Drivers over age 70 were much more likely to forget to check blind spots and use their turn signals and make other errors associated with increased crash risks.  Motor vehicle operators between the ages of 85 and 89 were four times more likely to make critical errors than those between 70 and 74 years of age.
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