Out of focus…
On Monday I told you about how your eyes can help you figure out if you have high cholesterol. But that advice won’t do you much good if you can’t see the telltale ring around your cornea. If your vision isn’t in tip-top shape, I have good news — especially if you also have trouble seeing at night: According to a recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, bilberries (a European cousin of the blueberry) may help improve night vision in people who are nearsighted.
The study involved 60 people who were mild to moderately myopic, a condition that can cause decreased night vision along with headaches, eye dryness, and discomfort when reading or in bright light. Participants received either 100mg of a bilberry extract or a placebo for four weeks. The bilberry contained 85 percent of the potent antioxidant anthocyanosides, which can help repair tissue and strengthen blood vessels.
At the end of the study, those who received the bilberry showed significantly greater improvement in a test measuring nocturnal visual function, and also reported fewer eye symptoms. No such improvement was seen in those given the placebo.
Although previous studies haven’t shown the same correlation between bilberry and night vision, those studies involved bilberry preparations with much lower concentrations of anthocyanosides, the active component of bilberries, and were given for much shorter periods of time.
Other studies have shown that bilberries may prevent cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and the eye damage associated with diabetes, called diabetic retinopathy. Although fresh bilberries may be hard to find, your local health food store probably carries bilberry as a tablet or liquid extract.
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What is…macular degeneration?
Macular degeneration causes a gradual loss of central vision in one or both eyes as the insulating layer between the retina and the layer of blood vessels behind it break down. The result is the formation of abnormal blood vessels, which can leak or rupture, causing scar tissue to form and destroying the retinal nerve. Although those affected by the disorder are visually impaired, they do not become totally blind. Peripheral, or side fields of vision are usually maintained.
There are two types of macular degeneration. The most common type is dry macular degeneration, which usually proceeds slowly, causing a gradual loss of vision. Wet macular degeneration is the more aggressive form of the disease. Typical warning signs are blurry or fuzzy vision, a dark or empty area in the center of your visual field, and the appearance of straight lines — such as lines of type on a page — suddenly becoming wavy.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Editorial Director
Nutrition & Healing
