The Radio 4 Appeal today was presented by Henry Blofeld on behalf of the Macular Disease Society.

The Radio 4 Appeal today was presented by Henry Blofeld on behalf of the Macular Disease Society. I thought it was a pity that the opportunity was not taken to mention that there is evidence of a dietary measure that can help with this condition. See this BBC2 webpage. Eating spinach helps to prevent "age-related macular degeneration", a major cause of poor eyesight and sometimes blindness. It can even repair some damage to the macula that has already occurred! - The nutrient involved is lutein. This nutrient is also contained in kiwifruits, leeks, peas, eggs, broccoli, etc. You can find them easily by using a search engine. Maybe Henry Blofeld would like to try this dietary measure for himself, since he is himself experiencing macular degeneration.

Supplement that may help avert dry age-related macular degeneration

The Telegraph reports that Harry Marsland, a retired optician, believes he is the first person in Britain to recover from dry age-related macular degeneration by taking a supplement containing lutein, found in spinach, zeaxanthin, the yellow pigment found in corn, and meso-zeaxanthin, derived from marigolds – called Macushield.

Innovative eye surgery may help sufferers from dry age-related macular degeneration

Innovative eye surgery that may help sufferers from dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of poor eyesight and sometimes blindness in people over 55 in the UK is reported in the Daily Mail. The technique, known as IOL VIP - Intra-Ocular Lenses for Visually Impaired People - is at present only available privately, i.e. is not available on the NHS.

Eating spinach helps to prevent age-related macular degeneration. It can even repair some damage to the macula that has already occurred! - The nutrient involved is lutein. This nutrient is also contained in kiwifruits, leeks, peas, eggs, broccoli, etc. You can find them easily by using a search engine. Details are on this BBC webpage

Continued Rise in Macular Degeneration is forecast

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the name given to breakdown of the macula, the area on the retina at the back of the eye which gives clear central vision. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people over 65.

High blood pressure and obesity are among the risk factors for developing AMD. - Now both high blood pressure and obesity are easily and safely reduced by eating less salt and salty food, so if you want to reduce your risk of AMD - and benefit your health in countless other ways too - cut down on salt/sodium. - This involves looking carefully at the nutrition information on the food you buy, and choosing the lower sodium options.

If AMD runs in your family then lower salt intake would seem a good preventative measure for you to take.

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, stroke, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs, hunger or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!
 
See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in food

Gene therapy test offers hope of sight to visually impaired patients

The Telegraph reports on how gene therapy helped visually impaired teenage student

Extract from the Telegraph:

"The treatment transformed the life of a severely visually impaired 18-year-old. Healthy genes were injected into one eye, leading to a significant improvement.

The technique could be ready for use within two years to treat people suffering from some inherited diseases of the retina, which affect 20,000 people in Britain.

Within five years it could be ready for testing on people who suffer age related macular degeneration, a condition that affects 500,000 Britons.

In the trial carried out by a team at the University College of London Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, the world's first gene transplant for blindness produced an unprecedented improvement in Steven Howarth's sight.

The student suffered from a genetic mutation, called Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), which usually begins affecting the sight of sufferers in early childhood and eventually causes total blindness during a patient's twenties or thirties."