Shipping | Basket / Checkout | Login / Account | Order Status | Contact Us | Store Locator   
Need Help Shopping? Call (877) 876-8247   
   


Acai Juice
Getting ready to try and
buy acai juice?
Watch this informative video about this popular new health drink.
FIND OUT MORE.


red yeast rice
Discover natural cholesterol control with red yeast rice extract. Don't put up with the side effects of syntheic drugs any longer.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RED YEAST RICE EXTRACT.


Subscribe to the Better Health News

keep up with Better Health News (and special offers) on Facebook

TOP PICKS
• Acai Juice
• Almased Synergy Diet
• Alpha-Fibe FBCx
• Astragalus
• Atkins Advantage Bars
• Atkins Day Break Bars
• Atkins Endulge
   Chocolate Bars

• Atkins Ready-To-Drink
   Shakes

• BetaGen
• Clif Bars
• Clif Luna Bars
• Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• Coral Calcium
• CoQ10
• EAS Myoplex Bars
• Enzymedica
• The Fiber 35 Diet
   - FitSmart Shakes
   - FitSmart Bars
   - Fiber Complex
• FruitaBu
• Fruit Leather
• Full Bar
• Gluten Free Cookies
• Gluten Free Pasta
• Kashi GoLean Cereal
• Konjac Root (Glucomannan)
• Krill Oil
• Larabar Food Bars
• The Maker's Diet
   - Primal Defense
   - Digestive Enzymes
      Complex

   - Green Food
   - Nutrition Bars
• Herbal Viagra
• Mangosteen Juice
• MET-Rx
• New Chapter
• Odwalla Energy Bars
• Organic Food Bars
• Pamelas Cookies
• Pure Protein Bars
• Red Yeast Rice Extract
• Resveratrol
• Stevia Rebaudiana
• Tom's of Maine
• Tri-O-Plex Bars
• Vitamin Code
• The Weight Loss Cure
• Wondercocoa
• Wrinkle Care Products
• Zone Perfect Bars

buy resveratrol
Before you
buy resveratrol,
be sure to watch this informative 60 minutes report about this supplement created from red wine.
FIND OUT MORE.


organic extra virgin coconut oil
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil can actually prevent heart disease and does not raise cholesterol levels.
Find out more about Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.


Stevia Rebaudiana
Stevia Rebaudiana has shown to help balance blood sugar, lower high blood pressure, reduce one's craving for sweets and fats, and "turn off" hunger sensations.
Find out more about Stevia - Stevia Rebaudiana.


Better Health News and Comment
BETTER HEALTH NEWS ARCHIVE INDEX         CURRENT NEWSLETTER INDEX

Relationship Between Nutrients and Age-Related Vision Loss: The Picture is Blurry
By Matt Brignall, ND

Healthnotes Newswire —Lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, do not offer significant protection against early age-related vision loss, according to a study published this month in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

In this new study, 8,200 adults over the age of 40 were interviewed about their dietary habits. Each participant also underwent a physical exam, which included blood tests and assessment of visual health.

No consistent relationship was found between either dietary intake or blood levels of lutein or zeaxanthin and risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older Americans. Participants between the ages of 60 and 79 years with the highest dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin, however, were found to be 90% less likely to have the most advanced symptoms of macular degeneration compared with those subjects with low intakes of these nutrients. Macular degeneration has been estimated to affect as many as 7% of people over 75 years old.

Lutein and zeaxanthin belong to a class of nutrients known as carotenoids. There are several hundred known carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lycopene. Foods high in lutein and zeaxanthin include leafy green vegetables, corn, green peppers, carrots, oranges, and eggs. These carotenoids have an affinity for the part of the retina where macular degeneration occurs. Once there, they protect the retina from damage caused by sunlight.

The new study raises more questions than it answers. Although the authors tried to make their results as specific as possible to intake of specific nutrients, the possibility remains that their findings simply reflect the protective effect (or lack thereof) of fruits and vegetables on the eyes, rather than showing a specific effect of lutein or zeaxanthin. Also, it is unclear from this study why these carotenoids would protect against the worst symptoms of visual loss, but not offer consistent protection against the earlier stages. Until these questions are answered by studies of more sophisticated design, people seeking to protect their eyesight should consider loading up on fruits and vegetables. Spinach and kale eaters have been previously found to have a lower risk of macular degeneration. It appears too soon, however, to suggest taking supplemental lutein or zeaxanthin to prevent macular degeneration.

References
1. Mares-Perlman JA, Fisher AI, Klein R, et al. Lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet and serum and their relation to age-related maculopathy in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am J Epidemiol 2001;153:424–32.
2. Bone RA. Landrum JT. Distribution of macular pigment components, zeaxanthin and lutein, in human retina. Methods Enzymol 1992:213:360–6.
3. Blumenkranz MS, Russell SR, Robey MG, et al. Risk factors in age-related maculopathy complicated by choroidal neovascularization. Ophthalmology 1986:93:552–8.

Matt Brignall, ND, is in practice at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center and at the Evergreen Integrative Medicine Clinic in Kirkland, WA. He specializes in integrative treatment of cancer. He is a contributor to Healthnotes Online and Healthnotes Newswire.




SITE INDEX | BRAND SITE INDEX | CATEGORIES | SPECIALS | BASKET | SHIPPING | ACCOUNT

POWERED BY: WWW.THEBETTERHEALTHSTORE.COM
Information presented at theBetterHealthStore.com is for educational purposes only; statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Copyright ©2007 theBetterHealthStore.com Inc.