Anti-Aging Update: My Eyesight Is Improving
by Nils Osmar. October 17, 2022. Medical Disclaimer
I wear eyeglasses when I’d driving, and get my prescription checked every year or two to make sure it’s still current.
For the past four years, there has not only been no decline, but actually a bit of an improvement each year, i.e., less of a correction needed.
I had my yearly appointment this morning, and, same result: My eyesight is a little better than it was last year.
The doctor also checked on a cataract that I have in one eye, and said that it has also not progressed (not gotten any worse) over the past four years. It doesn’t yet have any effect on my vision.
Eyesight tends to decline, not improve, as the aging process progresses, and cataracts tend to get worse, so I took this as hopeful news and a possible indication that the anti-aging things I’ve been doing may be working.
What’s been helping?
It’s hard to know for sure. It could be a random fluctuation. But four years of improvement in a row suggests that something good actually is happening.
I suspect the good results are because I’m taking astaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, and eating lots of foods high in nutrients that are good for the eyes, including leafy greens and egg yolks.
According to the study described in this article, NAD+ has benefits for eye health, at least in mice. From the article:
The retina is composed of two kinds of photoreceptors: rods and cones. Rods mediate vision at low light and are sensitive to motion, enabling us with “night vision.” Under sufficient light, cones allow us to see the world in detail and give us “color vision.” Together, the two photoreceptors facilitate us navigating the world and without them, our world goes dark.
Photoreceptors are terminally differentiated and non-proliferative, their death leads to blindness, a final result that many blinding diseases share. Scientists from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis discovered a molecule essential for vision in mice — nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) — and replenishing it can prevent photoreceptor degeneration and restore vision.
So it’s also conceivable that the NMN (an NAD+ precursor) which I’ve been taking now for about four years may be contributing to my good results.
Caveats
- I should also be clear that, I’m not saying my eye health is perfect. I had a vitreous detachment a few months ago.
- Fortunately, vitreous detachments aren’t terrible; they’re not like retinal detachments, which can lead to blindness. But it was a reminder to keep taking care of my eyes, including minimizing physical activities that can cause retinal detachments (the bigger danger).
- All in all, I was happy that, for whatever reason, my eyesight has gotten better overall over the past five years, during which time I’ve been taking NMN and other supplements.
Dietary approaches
Some people have promoted vegan diets for eye health
They may be for some people, but in my experience,. going vegan was a terrible choice for me. My eyesight, along with my general health, went downhill rapidly when I was vegan. I was carnivore for three months during my recovery, and noticed improvement in my vision at that time. These days, I eat a balanced omnivorous diet with foods from plant, animal and fungal sources.
Eggs for eye health
According to this news report (and may studies), the nutrients in eggs can help prevent macular degeneration.
Eating an animal-based diet
In this interview, a carnivore optometrist suggests that her diet may be a good one for eye health. Most carnivores eat lots of eggs, so that may be a factor.
I’m not endorsing any particular diet, I eat both plants and animals myself. My point is that, for me, animal-based foods have turned out to be essential for my health.
Not medical advice
- This article is not intended as, and should not be taken as, medical advice. I’m not advising that people eat any particular diet or take any particular supplements, just reporting on what I’m doing. All supplements can have side effects; I would encourage people to research both possible benefits and side effects before starting on any supplementation regimen, and consult with their doctors about any health concerns.,np
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