do eye vitamins actually work?

[mopinko]

23andme tells me i have the marker for macular degeneration.
dont know of anyone in the family that has it, and my eye sight is ok for someone my age.

need to see the eye doc, and pretty sure they will recommend the vitamins. just wondering what folks know.

[Sophiegirl]

1. I have a friend that has Mac deg

She takes Lutein. It’s OTC.

[hlthe2b]

2. AREDS study suggest in some cases yes. See the following from NIH

https://nei.nih.gov/amd/summary

[mopinko]

4. thanks. excellent summary.

[redstatebluegirl]

3. I have it start taking alreds 'll and resveratal.

I give it to my husband since my diagnosis.

[tonyt53]

5. My brother-in-law is an ophthalmologist, and he said some work, but depends on the condition.

We had that discussion a couple of years ago at Thanksgiving.

[PaxtonSahara]

6. Mom & Grandmother both had MacGen

I was just at ophthalmologist. I watch macula very closely. Thankfully no deterioration yet. Mom's doc and mine both said same. Preservision good overall to take. AREDS is heavy dose and does show some reversal but not prevention so only take if symptoms have started. Lutien may or may not help. Research is mostly anecdotal so why not?

[Dale Neiburg]

7. I have early-stage macular degeneration

(My ophthalmologists say its the earliest case they've ever seen -- usually it's discovered much later.) Anyway, I've been taking the vitamins with lutein and zeaxanthin ever since diagnosis and now (~8 years later) there's almost no progression visible in magnified pictures from diagnosis to today.

[Cairycat]

8. My experience

I've had dry AMD since my late forties, wet since just before my 50th b'day, nearly 70 injections in my bad eye. Now 60, my good eye is starting to slip a little, and injections have kept the bad eye stable at about 20/70 for ten years.

I've been taking AREDS formula eye vitamins all this time. Would my eyes be worse without the vitamins? Who knows, how would you control for that? But my ophthalmologist recommends them for me, has even given me plenty of samples over the years, so I take them.

However, I must also say I've also worked at having foods that have the AREDS nutrients in them in my diet. Leafy greens, like spinach, collards and kale are helpful; also fatty fish like salmon (I also take fish oil, as well as Preservision and extra lutein).

Sunglasses that block the blue light are also important - get ones that cover the sides too.