Although neither of them appears with a cape or a mask, both
Bilberry and Lutein are major sight defenders. They are not faster than a
speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, but they
can quickly restore one’s vision to near normalcy when macular degeneration
begins to creep in.
The Benefits of Lutein
When it comes to eye care Boulder, lutein is a major sight
defender. Lutein (pronounced LOO-teen) is a pigment that is one of the over 600
known carotenoids occurring in nature. Lutein is in egg yolks, corn, spinach,
broccoli, kale, turnip greens, collards, lettuce, okra, and carrots.
It can also be found in eye tissues such as the retina’s
pigment and parts of the lens. Lutein appears to have a role in slowing
age-related degeneration of these tissues. Research indicates that there is a
direct correlation between lutein ingestion and eye pigmentation. Furthermore,
lutein may absorb blue light and cause a 90 percent reduction in blue light
intensity.
Supplementation with lutein helps when:
●
Allergies to lutein-rich foods preclude a person’s
being able to eat sufficient amounts of it
●
Illness, age, or genetic predisposition cause a
person’s digestive system to be functioning sub-optimally
●
People consume foods grown in poor soil that is
pesticide-laden and chemically fertilized, as these foods are
nutrient-depleted.
Lutein has become popular as a supplement either alone or in
combination with bilberry and zeaxanthin for daily eye support and for the
improvement and prevention of visual problems such as macular degeneration.
Humans eat about 1 to 3 mg of lutein per day.
Benefits of Bilberry
Bilberry is another antioxidant that is very helpful for eye
care. It is known by many names: fraughan, myrtle blueberry, whortleberry, whinberry,
blueberry, and winberry. It grows as a shrub in temperate climates and produces
a fruit that can be eaten fresh or used in preserves or desserts. There is also
a drink that is made from it: bilberry liqueur. In addition to helping with eye
care, the leaves from bilberry are also used to treat diabetes, high blood
pressure, hardening of the arteries, typhoid fever, and kidney stones.
The anthocyanosides in bilberry have been demonstrated to
strengthen blood vessels and the walls of capillaries, improve the flexibility
of red blood cells allowing them to better deliver oxygen, and cause a
stabilization in collagen tissues such as tendons, cartilage, and ligaments.
These anthocyanosides also lower cholesterol.
Within the eyes, the anthocyanosides in bilberry increase
pigments of the retina, which allows light to be more tolerable to the eye. It
is thought that the ability of bilberry to improve eyesight and night vision is
due to the fact that there is a high concentration of capillaries in the eye that
can receive more oxygen and other nutrients thanks to the increased flexibility
of the red blood cells and the vasodilating (opening) effect of bilberry on the
capillaries.
Bilberry, Lutein and
Zeaxanthin: the Triple Threat for Eye Care in Boulder
Bilberry and lutein together make the
perfect caped defenders of one’s eyesight. They work even better when they are
joined by zeaxanthin. This threesome is a great additive to a regimen of eye
care in Boulder.
