Vision - Nutrients promote eye development, reduce disease symptoms

Lutein, zeaxanthin during pregnancy boost vision in offspring at age three

The dark green and orange-colored fruits and vegetables contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and mothers’ higher levels during pregnancy meant better eyesight in their offspring. In this study, doctors measured lutein and zeaxanthin levels during pregnancy, and at delivery, then followed up with the children at age three.

Kids whose mothers had higher levels of either lutein or zeaxanthin during pregnancy were 37 to 38 percent less likely to have poor visual acuity at age three compared to kids whose mothers had lower levels of these two carotenoids.

The results remained significant even after doctors adjusted for whether mothers breastfed their babies, or differences in the children’s diets of fruits and vegetables.

Reference: Nutrients; Vol. 12, No. 2, 10.3390/nu12020274

CoQ10 improves retinal health

People can lose vision from several conditions affecting the retina of the eye, including loss of blood flow to the optic nerve. In this study, doctors gave 48 people with one of several retinal blood vessel diseases 100 mg of CoQ10 per day, then followed up for an average of 43 months.

Using a standard measurement, called the Visual Field Index (VFI), doctors ranked annual changes in the percentage of the field of vision available to participants, with a score of 100 percent representing a perfect age-adjusted visual field.

Overall, all participants who took CoQ10 improved in measurements of VFI at least 9.3 percent per year, and as much as 22 percent per year, depending on the blood vessel disease affecting the retina. VFI scores decreased when one participant discontinued CoQ10, and increased after resuming CoQ10.

Reference: Nutrients; Vol. 12, No. 3, 10.3390/nu12030723