What Are The Best Vitamins For Macular Degeneration?

We are an amazingly visual society and people - we interact with the world around us because we can see it.Because of this, macular degeneration and the risk of vision loss are even more concerning.

Today, we are going to look at how macular degeneration happens and what roles vitamins can play, as well as the best vitamins for macular degeneration.

What Is Macular Degeneration?

Macular degeneration is a progressive eye condition that develops through the degradation and degeneration of the sensory tissues in the retina. There are multiple contributing factors and no single cause – but it is thought that declining blood flow, cell damage, and excessive eye strain and light exposure play a role in the development of MD. The cells at the back of the eye are particularly susceptible to the risks associated with cell damage and vascular problems. Eyes are vulnerable to build-ups of pressure and the sensitivity of macula cells is directly linked to their function as a form of a highly specialized organ system.These add up to high risk from both oxidative damage and vascular dysfunction – two of the common side-effects of aging and poor nutrition.

Macular degeneration matters because it affects many of us as we age.

There are 2 general forms – wet and dry – and we are mostly talking about dry macular degeneration today. Wet forms can be treated with medication, but dry macular degeneration does not have a cure – so we need to manage risk and development.Just like so many other eye conditions, the goal is to prevent macular degeneration in healthy people, and stave off its progression as it begins to show. This is crucial because macular degeneration leads to vision loss, which can be a huge change to the way we live.

Progressive macular degeneration is also a significant factor in some other lifestyle and medical risks.

For example, sight plays an essential part in how we regulate balance, and the onset of macular degeneration and losing central vision can impair balance. Progressive symptoms also mean progressive risks.Simply put, macular degeneration is both a real problem and a risk factor for other health problems. Getting ahead of the risks and development helps you prevent this slippery slope.

Best Vitamins For Macular Degeneration

Vitamins are crucial in managing and preventing macular degeneration because they interact with several of the contributors to MD. For example, the cell damage that produces accelerated cell death in the retina can be softened with antioxidant vitamins. Equally, the restriction of blood flow that increases cell death and reduces repair quality is also related to vitamin and mineral intake.When we look at vitamins, it is important to look beyond the nutrient to the processes that rely on them. That is why we’re going to outline the 4 best vitamins for macular degeneration: A, C, E, and K2.

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VITAMIN A: Carotenoids and eye health

Vitamin A is by far the most important vitamin for your eye health. It refers to a group of compounds and analogs that are closely tied to the cellular health of your retina, where it combats cell death and accelerated aging. This is the classic, most specific form of antioxidant for the eyes.The cells of the retina experience both significant stress and a relatively limited capacity for recovery. Maintaining them with antioxidant effects, reducing the oxidative damage risk from free radicals, reduces the pace of degeneration in the eyes.This helps you maintain a recovery that outpaces damage – the key to reducing degenerative conditions like MD. Vitamin A is found in two forms – pure vitamin A (Retinol) and compounds that are turned into Retinol inside the body when you eat them. The pure form is found in animal products – especially organ meats and dairy – while the pre-retinols are found in deep orange-red foods and can be supplemented.These are both great if you are dealing with early signs or MD or have a family history of the condition.

VITAMIN C: maintaining vascular and immune health

Vitamin C is a useful nutrient across the whole body because of its health-promoting effects on the immune system.In the eyes, specifically, it helps to maintain the capillaries that allow blood to flow to retina cells. It’s also involved in the creation of new blood vessels and the blood flow that is so important to healthy, functioning eyes.This works at both the system-wide immune system level and the local vascular level of the eyes – making it a great choice. You should be focusing on vitamin C in your diet regardless of your specific concerns, but redouble those efforts if you are concerned with the risk or progression of MD.Vitamin C is another vitamin that can be supplemented directly. Otherwise, it is found in high concentrations in citrus fruits (pomelo, lemon, mango, and oranges), as well as spinach, broccoli, and peppers.

VITAMIN E: a powerful antioxidant

Vitamin E plays many similar roles to vitamin A. It is one of the most powerful all-purpose antioxidants and supports the lifespan of the retinal cells, slowing the risk of degeneration.This is particularly useful when combined with other nutrients that support eye health. Vitamin E has non-significant benefits when supplemented alone – but many of the studies report small benefits. However, when combined with vitamins A and C, vitamin E has a significant effect on defending your eyes from the risks of age-related MD. These speak to the fact that nutrition is an all-together game and you cannot isolate single factors – your eye health benefits best from a comprehensive approach to vitamin intake!Vitamin E is usually found in a variety of plant foods. These include many nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, and avocado. You can also get high quantities from seafood and high-quality organ meats.

VITAMIN K: controlling vascular health in the eyes

Vitamin K isn’t often discussed in eye health but still plays a significant role in the maintenance of your eyes.The role it plays in coagulation and blood regulation is an essential part of maintaining healthy eye vasculature. We’ve already highlighted the role this can play in macular degeneration, and vitamin K is a major player in preventing vascular degeneration in the eyes.This is specifically useful in the reduction of plaques in these smaller capillaries, as well as helping regulate the blood pressure of the eyes. Deficiency in vitamin K is closely related to several major risk factors in the eyes through a protein called MGP.To oversimplify, this is a huge deal in maintaining the health of the eyes and is regulated through calcium. Vitamin K is crucial for calcium signaling, which may be how it controls eye health and prevents macular degeneration risks like poor blood flow, plaque build-up, and excessive local blood pressure in the eyes. Again, this nutrient is found at its highest concentrations in dark leafy greens, organ meats, and seafood.

In Summary…

Vitamins are important for our bodies in long-term, unglamorous ways. They do a significant amount of work in maintaining our health and wellbeing while going mostly unnoticed until we’re deficient or suffering from medical problems.

Today, we have outlined some of the risks of neglecting vitamins as they relate to eye health. Vitamins A, C, E, and K are the best vitamins for macular degeneration – and should be a large part of your diet no matter what your medical history.

Adjusting your diet can help you adjust your long-term risk and the sooner you start, the better the changes will be. When we are protecting ourselves from degeneration and the risks of aging, being proactive now is how we save ourselves problems in the future.