AltMedAngel: Alternative Medicine Angel

Eye Health

In addition to eye exercises, there are also nutritional protocols people can use when facing the most common eye problems and diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. Of course there are medical treatments for these conditions, but they are often ineffective over the long term, fraught with side effects and, to be honest, none really treat the cause of the problem.

In order to help correct the fluid balance in the eye, the entire body must be treated, with emphasis on the eye. Proper diet, physical exercise that also includes eye exercises, the right nutritional supplements, and the correction of underlying circulatory, kidney, or liver problems is a must.

Dr. West says, "A dose of three to nine A-C Carbamide and three Iplex daily is usually powerful therapy for people with glaucoma." He says to "allow eight to 18 months for full effects. After four to six months, you can usually go back to your doctor and discuss weaning off eye drops."

While many people think eye drop drugs are innocuous, they carry a long list of side effects. They can affect the heart and they are irritating to the eye itself. It is not unusual for eye-drop patients to develop chronic eyelid inflammation for which yet another prescription is needed. Normalizing eye pressure and eliminating the need for these drops is a major benefit to your overall health.

Macular degeneration (MD) is a deteriorating condition of old age that inevitably leads to severe vision problems, bleeding in the eyes, and blindness. It usually reflects long-term poor diet and health and there is little medical help available. 

In recent years it has become evident that those people with the most pigment in their eyes seem to have the least occurrences of MD. Since eye pigments are related to pigmented plant chemicals (phytochemicals), this finding led to research to determine if increased amounts of phytochemicals might prevent macular degeneration.

It was surmised after some study that the phytochemicals lutein and zeaxanthin, found in brightly colored vegetables and fruits, were the main factors involved in your body's attempts to prevent MD. However, after several products were produced containing these phytochemicals isolated from source materials, the results were dismal. Some of the lutein was isolated from plants that are inedible for humans, like marigolds.

These poor results caused a dampening of some research, the dropping of some products, and the continued sales of products of dubious value for sufferers of MD. Then came some new research on another plant chemical called sulfurophane, which is found in the same plants that contain lutein and zeaxanthin. It turns out that sulfurophane is a potent detoxifier in the body. When cancer was induced in rats, those fed sulfurophane in its natural plant state showed a 95% elimination of the cancer while the others simply died. When the sulfurophane was isolated from its plant material, the cancer and toxin elimination dropped to less than 10%!

The poor result of the isolated sulfurophane was powerful and damning news for most nutritional supplement manufacturers. Because simply stated, two possibilities were present. The single phytochemical surmised to be the potent factor may not have been. Or, more likely, when the potent factor is isolated from its natural substrate of plant or animal materials, it is rendered almost useless in the human body.

The basis of real, natural nutritional supplements is that they are made from whole foods and plants, and that these plant materials, enzymes, and phytochemicals in their entirety are contained in the pill or capsule itself. Since lutein and zeaxanthin were found in plants that are generally not consumed in quantity by most people, it became obvious how a deficiency of these plant chemicals might occur. How much kale and Brussels sprouts have you consumed in the last year?

Thanks to people like Dr. Mark Anderson of Colorado and Standard Process Labs, fields of organic kale and Brussels sprouts were planted, harvested, and manufactured into a product called Phytolyn. The manufacturing process maintains all the delicate plant enzymes, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and plant chemicals, including lutein and zeaxanthin.

Dr. Bruce West of Health Alert, did an informal (not a double-blind) study of the product on 20 people suffering with macular degeneration. He provided them with enough product to supply four capsules daily for six months. He felt the results of the study were quite remarkable.

Remember that MD is a disease that progresses and worsens almost uniformly for its sufferers. Eighteen people responded to his questionnaire. After just six months, 16 people had eyes and vision that remained stable, seven of these people reported less problems, two reported better vision, and two reported a slight worsening in one eye.

These results seem to show that the nutrients in Phytolyn can stabilize macular degeneration, reverse the deterioration in some cases, and actually improve vision for some with a disease that is incurable and untreatable. Of course, a double-blind study should be instituted at this point to make an even better determination.

The dosage for Phytolyn is three to six capsules daily for MD. You can also add three Iplex tablets daily. Anyone with this condition should make the appropriate changes in their diet and consider using these supplements for at least two years.

Keep in mind that, as with all things, diseases do not occur as isolated incidences. They almost always represent abnormal processes in the body that may involve organs far removed from the problem (in this case, your eyes). So, besides supplements, it is always a good idea to have a thorough examination and blood tests to determine just how your body is doing in relation to your primary problem (like macular degeneration).

When it comes to vision loss in this country, our only choice of therapy is surgery or corrective lenses (glasses). Yet these contribute to weakening eyes and you generally need stronger and stronger glasses over time. However, it is now known that you can actually change the way you see and improve your vision with proper exercise. Adding half an hour daily of eye exercises for a few months can make dramatic changes in your vision.

One of the wonderful side effects of exercising the eyes is better fluid balance in the eyes. This means less dry eyes, irritated eyes, weak eyes, lazy eyes, and all the other problems associated with weak eye muscles and poor fluid balance. When exercising eye muscles, you are improving the circulation to and through the eyes. It is this circulation that carries the nutrition to your eyes. This includes phytochemicals like lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as organic minerals that are also needed by the eyes.

We already know that a deficiency of phytochemicals in the eyes can contribute to macular degeneration. And now we know that lack of exercise and mineral deficiencies can cause one of the most common eye problems -- chronic dry eyes. Dr. West again prescribes three to four Organic Mineral tablets daily for chronic dry eyes. He says, just increasing mineral nutrition alone can eliminate some cases of dry eyes.

The same can be said for dry mouth. After prescription drugs, mineral deficiency is the next most common cause of dry mouth. If you have ruled out prescriptions (any prescription) as a cause of this problem, Dr. West advises taking Organic Minerals as described in the preceding paragraph. He says, after a few weeks or months, most people are pleasantly surprised at how their mouth dryness improves and disappears.

When it comes to eye exercises, there is definitely a science to it. There are a few courses in eye exercises out there, but one of the best is the See Clearly Method (800) 600-7189. Using a video or audio cassette, this course shows you exactly how to exercise, and it makes it relatively easy. For more information and a free video, click on the above link.  When you combine the See Clearly exercises with good nutrition and the right supplements, you have a powerful therapy. If you have no eye disease or condition and just wish to improve your vision, you can take three Iplex daily.

Avoid aspirin
Minimize your intake of aspirin. Aspirin reduces the blood's ability to clot. If small blood vessels hemorrhage in the retinal area, aspirin inhibits the body's ability to stop the leak and damages your vision.

For more information on Aging see "The Role of pH in All Health Conditions"

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