Carrots Aren’t Only For Rabbits!

How many of you remember when your mother told you that eating carrots for your eye health was important? Well, she wasn’t too far from the truth. And if you knew that your eyesight would diminish quickly after the age of 44 years old…I’m sure you would have requested more carrots in your lunchbox.

According to the Beaver Dam Eye Study, over 25 percent of Americans over 65 have macular degeneration. Age Related Macular Degeneration, (AMD) affects more Americans than glaucoma and cataracts combined. As you grow older, your risk of developing this disease increases dramatically. In people over 50, it is the number one cause of loss of vision.

Some doctors have been telling you to load up on Vitamin A and beta-carotene for good eye health. These two nutrients are found in high quantities in carrots. But carrots alone are not enough to stave off AMD. By focusing on these nutrients alone, you’ll miss out on the natural protectors your eyes really need.There are now exceptional yet little-known nutrients available that not only can sharpen your vision but also protect you from the leading cause of blindness.

AMD Is Increasing At An Alarming Rate

AMD is a deterioration of a portion of the retina called the macula. The retina is the backside of the eye. It records images and sends them to the brain. The central portion of the retina is the macula. When it comes to vision the macula plays an important role in these features:

• Focusing vision
• Recognizing colors
• Recognizing faces
• Reading
• Driving a car
• Seeing fine details

As I said earlier, vision loss from AMD increases dramatically with age. It may start as mildly blurred vision. From there, the disease escalates. Straight lines or sentences appear wavy. It becomes difficult to see objects from far away. Fine detail is lost. The ability to distinguish color is gone. Eventually, whole areas of vision disappear.

Next week we'll tell you about some things you can do to alleviate the symptoms of AMD.