Nutrients for Great Eye Health. Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the most major causes of vision loss and complete loss of sight in the United States. These difficulties with our senior citizens eyesight is not going away anytime soon. They are vital quality of life concerns among millions of aging Americans. Many individuals are Looking for what they can do to control these age related diseases in order to keep the quality of life they enjoy.

A lot of time and effort has been going on for years to find ways to combat these terrible eye diseases. Because of these studies they have found ways to combat these diseases before they become serious or causing major loss of eyesight.

Nearly 10 million adults are dealing with the first symptoms of Age related macular degeneration and close to a half a million people have suffered vision related loss from late-stage AMD. Cataract surgery is the most prevalent procedure performed in America accounting for more than 2 million surgeries every year. Both the severity and irreversibility of cataracts and AMD have created interest in all the possibilities to hold off or postpone their advancement.

Proper diet and nutrition are some of the promising means of protecting the eyes from these serious conditions. There are supplements available to combat these severe eye diseases. The antioxidants in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin the only carotenoids located in the eye, may protect against cataracts and AMD.

One of the first large studies on carotenoids is the Eye Disease Case Control Study, Where diet and nutrition were compared to the likelihood for developing Macular Degeneration. Results found a significantly lower risk for developing the eye

disease in people with high amounts of Lutein+zeaxanthin in their blood. Also, the people who were eating a diet which was composed of as much as 5.8 milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin per day had a prominently lower chance for AMD than those

whose diet contained the least amount (as low as 1.2 mg per day). Dietary studies confirmed the association between frequent consumption of spinach or collard greens, which are a particularly excellent sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, and a lower AMD risk.

Considering the positive association between lutein and zeaxanthin and age-related eye disease, it seems to be a real good idea for people to obtain higher degrees of these nutrients from their daily food intake. Consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, as is presently highly recommended by the National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Agriculture, can provide about 5 to 6 mg of carotenoids, including lutein and zeaxanthin, by choosing your fruits and vegetables wisely. However, the majority of people in the U.S. are not eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each

day. The average intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is approximately 2 mg per day. The studies referenced here suggest an intake of 6 mg or more per day to reduce your risk of developing AMD and cataracts. If you find it hard to substantiate the total amount of these carotenoids in your daily food intake, multivitamin/mineral and eye health supplements containing lutein and zeaxanthin are available.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are found together in many food sources. Dark green leafy vegetables are the primary source of lutein and zeaxanthin, but they are also present in lesser amounts in other fruits and vegetables, such as broccoli, orange bell peppers, corn, peas, tangerines and persimmons.

An individuals eyesight is so critical for them to live a happy healthy existance. Be certain to pay careful attention to those needs and take the time to eat properly and take your vitamins so you can live out your life seeing all there is to see around you. Remember that every year advancements are made to lessen, or stop the progression of Cataracts and Age related Macular Degeneration.