VitalMACULA provides all the nutrients needed to help rebuild the damaged part of the retina as well as a unique extract from blue-green algae that has been shown to significantly improve visual acuity (see below for research studies). VitalMACULA is
VitalMACULA provides all the nutrients needed to help rebuild the damaged part of the retina as well as a unique extract from blue-green algae that has been shown to significantly improve visual acuity (see below for research studies). VitalMACULA is rich in the pigments Zeaxanthin and Lutein and other vital carotenoids (alpha, beta and gamma carotene, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and lycopene) all in a highly bioactive form. These pigment molecules are concentrated in the macula at the back of their eye and supplementng with them has been shown to improve vision with people who have AMD.
Directions: Take 1-2 capsules three times a day with food.
Age-related Macular Degeneration
The macula or macula lutea (from Latin macula, “spot” + lutea, “yellow”) is an oval-shaped pigmented area near the centre of the retina of the eye. Because the macula is yellow in colour it absorbs excess blue and ultraviolet light that enter the eye, and acts as a natural sunblock (analogous to sunglasses) for this area of the retina. The yellow colour comes from its content of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are yellow xanthophyll carotenoids, derived from the diet. Zeaxanthin predominates at the macula, while lutein predominates elsewhere in the retina. These pigment molecules (present at the fovea part of the retina at the back of the eye) act as “internal sunglasses” filtering out harmful UV rays to protect the photo-receptors that are concentrated here. Visual input from the macula occupies a substantial portion of the brain’s visual capacity and damage to the macula will result in loss of central vision.
A diet rich in the pigment nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin has been shown to protect against the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) but often, our intake of these pigment molecules, found in dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale and collard greens (lutein)), corn, orange peppers and oranges (zeaxanthin) and egg yolks (both lutein and zeaxanthin) can often be too low to offer protection against diseases of the eye. The absence or reduced intake of either of these pigments may account for the development of the structural changes that lead to AMD, which is a major cause of blindness among individuals with European ancestry, accounting for more than 50% of all blinding conditions.
Other risk factors for the development of AMD are age, positive family history and smoking, which constricts the small blood vessels in the retina, reducing the delivery of nutrients to cells.
1) Certified organic Klamath blue-green algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA))
The most nutrient-abundant food source on our planet, AFA is a rich natural source of zeaxanthin, lutein and other carotenoids; alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, cryptoxanth