DES MOINES, Iowa—In an effort to intensify its aim of delivering vital nutrition and eye health information to optometrists and their patients, Kemin Health, producer of FloraGLO® brand lutein, announced a series of new initiatives in partnership with the American Optometric Association (AOA).
These projects build upon the ongoing strength and success of such collaborations as Low Vision University™, a continuing education program instructing eye doctors in the latest research, practice methods and nutritional regimens that can help maintain healthy eyes and aid individuals with chronic age-related eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
As of today, the Kemin-AOA educational outreach extends not only to optometrists, but directly to patients and the general public, as well. To extend this outreach, Kemin has added a new, Nutrients for Eye Health project. This program, which includes a mailing to more than 20,000 AOA members, features printed educational materials for both doctors and patients, explaining at a glance which nutrients foster healthy eyes, along with the recommended daily intake of each. The project also features a PowerPoint presentation optometrists may use at no charge to help them communicate this important information to the public when speaking to consumer groups, at senior centers, health fairs or other health-oriented venues and events.
In addition, Kemin is teaming up with the AOA to add practical, easy-to-use nutrition-related content to the AOA Web site (AOA.org). New nutrition pages will plainly describe for patients how they can use diet and supplements to nurture good vision and eye health. Down-to-earth guidance will include delicious recipes naturally rich in each beneficial nutrient, in a handy, email-able format. Optometrists, too, will discover something new—a clinically oriented Ocular Nutrition Library they can turn to in order to stay abreast of the ever-expanding array of research on this important topic.
By contributing a level of support unmatched by other lutein providers, Kemin seeks to advance the efforts of the AOA in providing trusted, science-backed information to patients and families affected by conditions such as AMD and cataracts. And this support extends to healthy patients, as well, who routinely look to optometrists as the primary source of guidance on how to take good care of their eyes. New research shows 10 mg of lutein per day improves visual performance in AMD patients, cataract patients and individuals with good eye health. Lutein is also linked to reducing the risk of certain eye diseases.
