Nutraceuticals, Supplements & Vitamins - Michigan Optometric ...

Nutritional Supplements for Prevention of
ARMD
• TOZAL Study
• Vision stabilized or improved in 67% of patients who
used nutritional supplements with omega-3 fatty
acids and antioxidants
Nutritional Supplements for Prevention
of ARMD
Vitamins
• Vitamin E 400 IU/day
– May protect retina from oxidative damage due
to excessive sunlight exposure
• Vitamin C 200-1,000 mg/day
– Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,
questionable as single agent for prevention of
ARMD
– May improve synergy of antioxidants
Nutritional Supplements for Prevention of
ARMD
Vitamins
• Vitamin D - patients with higher levels of serum
vitamin D appear less likely to develop early dry
ARMD
• Vitamin D early data 200-400 IU for younger and
older adults respectively, today higher amounts
considered important 2,500-4,000 IU to increase
blood serum levels
• 2,000 IU daily increases anti-inflammatory cytokine
IL-10 and decreases pro-inflammatory TNF-alpha
• Suppresses retinal neovascularization in mouse
model
Nutritional Supplements for Prevention
of ARMD
Minerals
• Zinc 25-50 mg/day (typically 25-30 mg/day) -
reduced rate of visual acuity loss, no benefit or
protection of the fellow eye in patients with
choroidal neovascularizaiton in one eye
• Monomethionine zinc is the most bioavailable
form, only form that does not interfere with copper
• Zinc toxicity associated with genitourinary and
gastrointestinal disorders
Nutritional Supplements for Prevention of
ARMD
Vitamins
• B-Complex vitamins (B6, B12, folate)
• Helps keep homocysteine levels within a normal
range
• Elevated plasma homocysteine levels associated with
exudative neovascular ARMD
• Should always be taken together as a complex
Nutritional Supplements for Prevention of
ARMD
• Lowers the risk for some cancers including breast,
prostate and colon
• May also lower blood pressure in hypertensive
patients
• Improves bone calcium absorption which also lowers
amount of calcium plaques
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