LAS VEGAS—The eyes are our window to the world, and preserving vision was at the core of Dr. Paul S. Bernstein’s educational session at SupplySide West.
Bernstein, the Mary Boesche Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Utah School of Medicine’s Moran Eye Center, has spent a great percentage of the last 15 years studying details related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—and particularly the roles of zeaxanthin and lutein in preventing the disease—and shared his findings with SupplySide West attendees.
Although the relationship between phytochemicals and vision dates back to ancient Egypt, where people had documented the relationship between diet and nightblindness, research on the specific physiological parameters related to AMD—the leading cause of vision loss in the developed world, noted Bernstein—continue to this day. He particularly highlighted findings from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) from the 1980s and AREDS2, which is currently underway.
Although AREDS and AREDS2 have focused on the impact of nutrients like zinc, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, EPA, DHA, lutein and zeaxanthin, Bernstein also suggested that herbal approaches, including bilberry, red wine, eyebright and goji berries, are also worth investigating. “We have to take some of this traditional medicine quite seriously,” he said.