Age-related
macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness for
Americans older than 60, according to the American Optometric
Association. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) estimates 7.3 million people are at substantial risk for
vision loss from AMD. Other estimates indicate that as our
population continues to rapidly age, as many as one in three
could be diagnosed with AMD in the next 20 years.
AMD deteriorates central vision, affecting everything from
seeing faces clearly to literally having no central vision at
all. Key risk factors for AMD are age, family history, smoking
(past or present), low macular pigment, light skin and eyes,
obesity and Caucasian women are also at slightly higher risk.
Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD) is a brief, non-intrusive
exam performed by many optometrists throughout the country,
which measures macular pigment in the back of the eye.
Think of macular pigment as "internal sunglasses" for the back
of your eye - they absorb harmful blue light that can adversely
affect eye health. Internal sunglasses protect the
photoreceptors in the back of the eye - specifically the cones,
which are responsible for central vision, color, sharpness and
sensitivity to bright light, among others. Two key carotenoids,
Zeaxanthin (zee-uh-zan-thin) and Lutein, comprise the internal
sunglasses, which can become thin as we age, unable to block or
absorb harmful blue light. In order to keep the internal
sunglasses thick and dense, it is important to replenish
Zeaxanthin, the predominant carotenoid in the area where the
concentration of cones is the highest.
Zeaxanthin is very scarce in the average daily diet, and
vegetables like kale, corn, collard greens, spinach, and peppers
naturally provide nutrients to help maintain macular health, but
supplementation is often necessary. For example, one would have
to eat approximately 20 ears of corn to get a recommended dosage
of 8 to 10 milligrams of natural dietary Zeaxanthin per day.
