Think of an old silent movie where the darkness around the edge of the frame begins to slowly close down toward the middle of the screen until the image is completely black.
Now imagine watching that happen over a decade.
That’s retinitis pigmentosa.
And, in medical jargon, “Retinitis pigmentosa is really, really bad.”
That’s the note that HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., included when he sent me a copy of a new study that offers some hopeful news for retinitis pigmentosa (RF) patients.
RF is a genetic disorder, so if someone in your family has been diagnosed, consider yourself at high risk. More than 80,000 patients in the U.S. are currently coping with this debilitating disease.
As I’ve mentioned before, RF causes photoreceptor cells in the retina to degenerate. The first symptom is poor night vision. After that, peripheral vision begins to narrow, and some RF patients eventually lose their sight completely. Those who don’t will spend their later years with significantly impaired vision.
As the good doctor says: really, really bad.
So what can you do?
Fight vision loss with vitamins
It sounds simple, but you can wear sunglasses, which protect retinas from ultraviolet light. And then you can increase your intake of two plant carotenoids: vitamin A and lutein.
Studies have shown that vitamin A may slow the progression of RF. In a new study from several university research centers (including Harvard, Brandeis, and Tufts), 225 non- smokers with RF were given 15,000 IU of vitamin A daily for four years. In addition, half the group also received 12 milligrams of lutein daily or a placebo.
Lutein, like vitamin A, is an antioxidant. It functions as a light filter to protect the macula–the spot on the retina at the back of the eyeball where light is collected for the optic nerve.
Results showed a significant slowing of vision decline in both groups, with the combination of vitamin A and lutein providing better protection.
Researchers note that someone with RF at age 40 can expect to lose their mid-peripheral field of vision by age 51. Results of this study suggest that a 40-year-old RF patient who takes vitamin A and lutein daily may put off that level of loss by about a decade–to around age 61.
And even if you don’t have RF, increasing your lutein intake is a smart move.
First of all, lutein is well known for supporting general vision health and helping to prevent age-related macular degeneration–the primary cause of blindness in people over the age of 50.
In addition, lutein might be a vision-saver when it comes to staring at your computer monitor.
In a trial I told you about last year, Chinese researchers found that 12 mg of lutein daily improved visual function and contrast sensitivity in subjects with long-term exposure to computer monitor screens.
In addition to taking a lutein supplement, it’s easy to boost the lutein content in your diet. Lutein is most abundant in spinach, avocado, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, oranges, and eggs.
So plan a big salad for lunch and enjoy the vision benefits.
Jenny Thompson is the Director of the Health Sciences Institute and editor of the HSI e-Alert. Through HSI, she and her team uncover important health information and expose ridiculous health misinformation, most notably through the HSI e-Alert.
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