Natural Remedies for Macular Degeneration: Top Research-Based Suppleme

My Mom had non treatable macular, had lost sight in the left eye and it had moved into the right eye along with glaucoma. Our Ophthalmologist said to take 40mg of straight Lutein which I purchased thru Puritans Pride. She took it for the summer, it reversed the macular in the right eye, no more glaucoma and she got sight back in her left eye. She passed away a few years later, I started taking the 40mg Lutein once a day and my eyes got so better that I went from the glasses I had in 2020 back to 1995. I just got my eyes reexamined, and she was shocked at how my sight had improved.

Betaine Hydrochloride is found in spinach! Time for me to eat more spinach like Pop Eye!

Smokers/ex-smokers should not take lab-created/synthetic Vitamin A. Actually, no one should. All vitamins should be natural and whole foods, not synthetic, fake ones. Synthetic Vitamin A can cause lung cancer in ex-smokers/smoke

Medical scientists have succeeded in using Melatonin [3 mg daily dose] to tackle eye AMD. Check out the impressive pics in the first link below:

[1] https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/melatonin-prevents-progression-improves-macular-degeneration-instead-of-causing-it-as-ray-surmises.40709/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16399908/

The yellow liquid part of the aloe is latex and should never be used. It is esp. harmful to the kidneys.

Yes, I put Mom on 1000 gr of Turmeric for her Lupus/Arthritis pain she was 93, and it messed w her blood as she is a Bleeder. It says that on side effects. I am glad it turned out ok. I will say my dental tech told me she put ice on her hands and feet between clients for RH pain, and started taking 1,000 MSM and 1,000 Turmeric a day and no pain for 4 mo when I saw her.

Here are other Australian Native Foods for eye health. I believe NZ has Warrigal Spinach. **Warrigal Spinach is very high in Lutein / zeaxanthin. Many articles if you google search.

https://www.hollows.org/au/blog/5-native-australian-foods-that-are-good-for-your-eyes

Thank you for this invaluable information.

That is very interesting....when you say 'squeeze' do you mean from the white gel part of the plant, or does your father use the yellow liquid as well? Aloe Vera is everywhere in Portugal, and I have a plant sitting outside so would really like to try this. Would be great if it worked on me!!! Thank you

How does one apply the Aloe Vera to the eye?

He said that his father squeezes the fresh juice. That would mean a fresh lobe is cut from a live plant. Also, another plant that displays effectiveness at halting and even improving macular degeneration is Saffron. You can eat a pinch of saffron threads or take capsules of saffron available in many health food stores or Amazon. Marigold extract also shows effectiveness in treating macular degeneration.

Could you please show a picture of the aloe that your dad uses? Thank you so much for the information.

My father has had (wet) macular degeneration for many years now. He has received about 60 injections in the eyes for this. As far as I know the injections are just to slow the progression of the disease, not cure it. As his eyesight was so bad and the injections were not fun to receive, he decided to try putting aloe vera in his eyes (years ago he had read Native Americans used aloe vera for eye problems).

Very quickly he noticed a difference, and when he went for the next check up the doctor said he didn't need an injection this time. The following check up he didn't need one either. That was about 2 years ago now, and he hasn't been back since because his eyesight has actually improved!! For example, he says he can now read the number on the bus when it comes toward him (he doesn't need to ask someone) and he can see more in general. Recently I saw him read large numbers on a page with his glasses on - an impossibility a few years ago!

It is important to get the plump, slightly soft, fleshy aloe vera, rather than the larger, more firm variety which has flatter leaves. My father couldn't use the flatter leaf variety, it stung in his eyes whereas the softer one feels good in the eye. He just squeezes some of the juice into his eyes every day. I do not recommend the bottled aloe vera because it is not fresh.

I really do hope this helps someone because this has been incredible for my father and for our family. Slightly improved eyesight when that did not seem possible, and no more injections.

Unless I'm mistaken, I see no mention of DMSO on macular degeneration on this page of posts. DMSO mentioned as highly effective treatment & cure in classic literatures, by Dr. Stan Jacob, Dr. Morton Walker. Fairly new book by Archie Scott, "DMSO Handbook for Doctors" also mentioned the great results with DMSO which has many many other health benefits & absolute safe proven historically.

Hi. Do you mind telling me if the Colloidal Silver is helping?

Yes, it has ...

"Should Ex-Smokers Shun Beta-Carotene ...?"

https://www.drweil.com/vitamins-supplements-herbs/supplements-remedies/should-ex-smokers-shun-beta-carotene/

Hi Betty,

May I ask how many mg/day of turmeric/curcumin you were taking when the macular degeneration seemed to worsen? It would also be helpful if the original poster would tell us how much she was taking when this developed, especially for those with a family history of the disease.

On a different note, I just read in this month's Life Extension magazine, that they are seeing a reduction in inflammation and also how the brain perceives pain by using two supplements that supposedly do not have the side effects of other NSAIDS. “The first compound PEA (palmitoylethanol-amide), is a fatty acid produced by the body to reduce inflammation and works at the site of tenderness to turn off the pain signal. The second, honokiol, extracted from the Magnolia tree, operates in the central nervous system to affect how our brains perceive pain.” Combined, these two supplements are showing promise as safe and effective pain relievers. This may give you an avenue to explore. They appear to be quite effective in the trials, so far, but I would do further research to make a sound decision. Best wishes.

I am so shocked to see the reference to avoid taking Ibuprofen if you suffer from macular degeneration! Also the turmeric. I suffer from fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, and my family doctor took me off Celebrex and put me on Advil (Ibuprofen) about 6 months ago. I have also been trying to include more turmeric in my diet to help with the inflammation in my body. Coincidentally, my vision has been deteriorating. I have wet mac. in one eye and dry in the other. I have noticed more deterioration in the wet eye (I've been taking the injections for six years). Can anyone suggest what would be the best painkiller to take? Thanks. BTW, I want to avoid opiods.

Linda,

Here is an article re tumeric. It tells of those of us that do not get a benefit from it. Janet

https://www.hormonesmatter.com/turmeric-mao-mutations-hypertension-ticking-time-bomb/

Interesting. Last year I was taking tumeric regularly because of all the benefits reported. In June I had a needle biopsy because or a lump seen on a mamogram. Everyone in the room was very surprised when the doctor inserted the needle into the lump and blood squirted out, running down my neck and into my hair. It was quite a mess and I was told it mas not a typical occurrence. I decided to stop the tumeric because I was facing surgery. A couple of months later I went in for an eye exam and I had wet macular degeneration in both eyes. I can't help but wonder if might have had an eye bleed if I had continued the tumeric.

Non-sense! Copper is needed and taking all the supplements individually is also ridiculous, especially these days. In 1992 an Immunologist/Microbiologist PhD who grew Healthy cells in a lab for a highly respected Lab where he also developed the assay for Epstein Bar testing which is still used and the Gold Standard in hospitals...happened to want to go on the side of prevention. Knowing that most multivitamins on the market were garbage and if given to the cells in his Lab...would die and put them out of business, he developed a line that changed many in the industry today. Why? Because they are Pharmaceutical Grade vs Food Grade. This means what's on the label has to be exactly what's in the pill where as food grade is like chocolate chip cookies....some have 10 chocolate chips in the cookie, others 12 and others possibly only 8. C___nt__m and others like it are marketing junk and a waste of money. Just search YouTube for the Vitamin Apple Test and see for yourself. One keeps the apple color white and some others turn the flesh of the apple black...hmmm? Many more great companies with quality, GMP standards now making supplements....thanks to this visionary Dr.

Heather,

You may think twice about taking a copper supplement. Some people can be copper toxic, especially if you have been exposed to heavy metals in the past (esp amalgam fillings). Copper can mimic the oxidative stress that mercury or other heavy metals can induce.

Good advice with supplements is to take each one individually and look at your reaction. Multi-vitamins can be a mix of bad reactions with good, but you'd never know what causes what.

Macular degeneration and acid reflux have been linked together. Studies confirm if you take 'Betaine Hydrochloride' with each meal, the acid reflux is gone. If you have acid reflux, you need more acid in your stomach, not less. Taking antacids makes the problem worse. Your body is saying it needs more acid to digest your food.

I checked the Now Foods, I found they do have Eye Support with Zeaxanthin now.

Don't forget vitamin D!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27105707

Art

What do you mean by the highest doses for macular degeneration? Lutein Selenium Beta carotene Zinc Vit E

Can you be more specific about "highest dosage available" that u gave for macular degeneration...? I want to start w my mom, but no idea what dose to start with.

Regarding finding Lutein and Zeaxthanine supplements, my sister-in-law, my friend Kathy, my wife, and myself all take a supplement purchased at a well known food club store that has 25mg of Lutein and 5mg of ZEaxthanine. My sister-in-law and Kathy have both had impressive improvements in their vision. Not so much for my wife though. I have only just been diagnosed with AMD, so who knows whether it has helped me or not?

There really is nothing to fear from eggs, lard, or butter, but a great deal to fear from shortening, and the numerous varieties of vegetable or grain oil. Olive oil is fine though. And margarine should be outlawed.

How does egg consumption cause us to consume too much of the 'wrong' types of fats? Please explain this to me, Ariel.

Eggs can contribute good amounts of Lutein if and only if they are truly "free-range" which is the only type we should be eating anyway because this supplies the correct type of fat (Omega 3's) also. Otherwise, egg consumption just adds to our over-consumption of the wrong type of fats, the major contributor to all diseases and also displaces the correct fat consumption. So, to seek out and only buy eggs from your neighbor who has chickens running around, or the expensive variety at the store, is a good plan if you can't live without eggs. Keep in mind that even this healthy type of egg offers a fraction of the lutein and astazanthin we need, so putting effort into figuring out how you can consume a few leaves of Kale every day would give a far greater ROI - Return on Investment.

Barbara --- who said? Best thing to google the properties and benefits of a thing about which you are not sure. There are many on EC visiting and asking questions, forgetting some answers are purely personal opinions.

So you would first enquire online, googling "turmeric" and learning it straight from research. In this case Ayurveda. That is doing a bit of home work that comes up with desired results.

All the best, Namaste, Om

I have Wet Macular Degeneration. The opthomologist has seen me for 24 months. I have been "doctoring" myself with my homemade Colloidal Silver drops in my eyes as well as vitamins, minerals, diet and exercise, instead of getting the injections. In 24 months I have only had 5 injections. My question is, why is Turmeric not good for the eyes?

As for a high quality saffron product for macular degeneration look for one made with saffron stigma powder, the same quantity used in in Italian study. Saffron as a supplement was approved by Health Canada to help maintain eyesight in AMD.

SPINACH FOR MACULAR DEGENERATION - We just had a dinner party last night and an elderly gentleman from S. Africa told of us his brother-in-law who had severe macular degeneration. A nurse at the hospital passed along information for him to ask his doctor. After speaking with the doctor he decided to forego his quarterly eye injection. Instead, he began eating 2-3 tablespoons of slightly steamed/cooked spinach 3 times a day. His brother-in-law is now able to see, driving and woodworking. He said had he not seen it for himself, he wouldn't have believed it. I haven't any proof, but a few bites of spinach daily shouldn't hurt anyone. I hope it works!

Hello, Lutein and zeaxanthin are macular pigments, naturally concentrated in macula of the eye. Our body cannot synthesize these important compounds so we need to take them via foods (green leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale) or take supplements that have lutein/zeaxanthin. The product mentioned above also has macular pigments.

Protect your eyes from sunlight by wearing proper sunglasses that have anti-UV coating.

Hi Carol, The daily dose needed is 20mg of high quality saffron- only the red part of stigmas. There has been actually a product in the market (UK and now Canada) that has saffron and nine other ingredients for eye health. Remember that healthy life-style for eye health includes exercise, no smoking, protecting against exposure to intense light (from computer screens, sunlight etc) are the key. Again, taking daily green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale etc) are very important. Control blood pressure and cholesterol levels and nourish your eyes with eye health nutrients.

Yes, if you find high quality saffron from a trusted shop, it will do the job of delivering the best anti-oxidants and cell-protective constituents. The daily dose needed is 20mg everyday. You can use it as a tea or just add to your food. Other forms of saffron in pill or capsules are available in the market, but make sure of the quality of saffron.

Also make sure your diet includes other eye health igredients such as lutein from kale or spinach and vitamin C. Also, smoking increases risk of age-related macular degeneration. Reduce alcohol consmption, do exercise, and limit exposure to intense light or starring too long at computer screens. Also make sure your blood cholestrol is under control. Health dieat, exercising and no smoking are key for maintaining healty eyes.

Thanks for this information. Can Saffron be purchased in a Health Food Store? And how much should be taken... more or less the suggested amount?

Amazing story about saffron and its benefits for eyeight and general health. There is actually a product the combines saffron with benefits of the natural compound also found in red wine, resveratrol and carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

Remember that by stabilizing the effect of saffron after longer term supplementation means that the potency of saffron stays the same and does not decline over long time consumption. In fact once patients stopped taking the saffron pill, the effects slowly faded away. Saffron is a protecting retina of the eye so you need it every day for eye health.

Article: http://www.naturalnews.com/039150_saffron_macular_degeneration_cure.html

Sorry, but I don't know why anyone would think that eggs are high in lutein. Eggs, I believe, only have some lutein because many, not all, farmers include marigolds in chicken feed to make the egg yolks a strong yellow color. So if you don't eat the yolks but only the whites, or get eggs from a natural farmer who doesn't like to "doctor" the chicken feed to get a "healthy color" of bright yellow then you will probably have little lutein from eating eggs.

And, furthermore, the marigolds are used by farmers for "coloring" and not for its high lutein contents. The egg producers are not doing this for your nutritional benefit. Otherwise they would have chosen other plants with higher lutein content.

I believe the Nasturtium flowers are the highest in lutein of any plant that I know of. While marigolds are in the order Asterales that includes calendula and tarragon we find that Nasturitium is in the order Brassicales that includes cabbage, papaya and all the yummy dark green vegetables that are so good for you in so many ways- including their extremely, extremely, high lutein. (Nonetheless my optometrist sells a lutein supplement made from marigolds, obviously following the chicken feed trail). That is why I think it best to stick with nasturtium, kale, watercress, spinach and so on if you are worried about your eyes.

On another note, the world's healthiest foods site, whfoods.com presents a lot of research to suggest that berries are one of the best things for eye health. While other sites suggest fish oil high in vitamin A derivatives.

There are only 1 or 2 studies actually linking lutein use to benefit for Macular degeneration. And then they mostly conclude that more study is needed.

However, one of the best sources of it, after the nasturtium yellow flowers, is Kale (uncooked) and the second best is Kale (cooked). After that try dandelion greens. You can get both at health food stores. Plus if you can't take the nasturtium yellow flowers then try the leaves. Also try turnip Greens, swiss chard, collard greens, romaine lettuce, green peas, watercress, romaine lettuce, and of course popEye's favorite, spinach. He wasn't just strong to the finish but had a good eye for good food.

My Mom suffers from macular degeneration. She can't take nsaids because of that, but she thought it would be OK to take turmeric for her allergies. 4 days after she started she had an eye bleed & is now blind in that eye. I can't remember exactly what she said, but the reason turmeric works for allergies is because it does something to your blood. Be aware.

This is a medical urban myth! Carotene in smokers and ex smokers causing cancer has been debunked.

Please explain your comments: "cancer patients should not take Vitamin E; smokers/ex-smokers should not take beta-carotene. " Your other statement should be changed to: nor should anyone taking vitamin E need blood thinner medication. Thank you.

Please go to www.macdegenresource.com

These people are from Boston and worked with "Retina Associates. " The best place in the world for ANY eye problems... This site is run by brilliant, retired opthamologists with many years experience. The site is information free. Dr. Wallace McMeel saved my sight.

WARNING!

Re Fernando from Hamilton blog 0l/23/2008: I wish to add a few cautions re the list of supplements for macular degeneration and caution people with certain health problems to always do further research and also seek advice of a naturopathic doctor prior to taking supplements - cancer patients should not take Vitamin E; smokers/ex-smokers should not take beta-carotene; nor should anyone on blood thinner medication be taking vitamin E.

Mona

In their book, "People's Pharmacy: Home Remedies" by Joe and Terry Graden, one person wrote in saying that his 78 year old wife was cured of Macular Degeneration from taking bilberry fruit capsules. She was cured within a few years of taking the pills. I did not see bilberry fruit capsules mentioned in this thread, so I thought I'd share that.

Thanks Jean for your input. I am mildly allergic to eggs and eat them sparingly. Perhaps I should try just lutein and then add other ingredients.

Lutein may not be the source of your rash. Vitamins that are prescribed for macular degeneration are usually extremely high in both zinc and vitamin A (or beta carotene). Either one, or even something totally unrelated, could be causing the allery. Eggs are high in lutein. If you are able to eat eggs with no problem, your rash probably doesn't stem from the lutein.

Hi there, I was diagnosed with mild Macular degeneration and prescibed a supplement with vit A, C, E, zinc, copperlutein, Zeaxanthine. I developed a huge allergic rash after several days and think perhaps it's the lutein from marigolds. Am also a type 2 diabetic.

Anyone have suggestions as to another source of lutein 10mg a day from another source. All supplements I have seen are from the marigold source.

Thanks Val, I will check it out.

Hi Lorraine from Cairns, Some years ago I was diagnosed with a cataract in one eye and the retina starting to tear in the other. I went to the chemist on the corner of Toogood and Bruce Hwy. It's in that small complex with the Drs surgery. They used to have a range of herbal mixtures that they made up. I had their standard eye one with silica added. Plus I bought a fresh 100% blueberry juice (just from the suppermarket). I was told to eat 1 cup of blueberries a day and as you know the price of blueberries the next best thing was juice. I took 100mls mls a day, 5 days a week. Unfortunately I can't remember how long I took them for but it was some months. Shifted to Vic and new specialist says there is no damage to the retina and the cataract (which was advanced at the time for my age) is now at a state that is not abnormal for my age. The chemist used to have their own herbalist you could talk to and they would then make a mix up for you. Good Luck

Lorraine:

Possibly meso-zeaxanthin is more what you want in an AMD supplement? From marigolds.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028566_blindness_marigolds.html

Quick search shows many brands now have from 3. 75 mg (seems most common) per pill to 10 mg meso- per pill. Effectiveness or not might depend on progression of the AMD, whether it's wet or dry, etc. Another EXTREMELY important thing you must note is that it took decades to show up, but it's here and causing intense grief and problems. What s it? It's all the fast food deep frying in omega-6 cooking oils (so called "healthy fats" all these decades) and the high temperatures of the oils causes formation of a very destructive compound called HNE.

http://www.living-a-healthy-lifestyle.com/health-terms.html

Age-Related Macular Degeneration was rare as late as 1980. And in recent decades there has been a 1000% increase! Dr. Paul Beaumont, one of the world's foremost food researchers, has found that people who eat higher amounts of vegetable oils (corn, soybean, safflower, etc. ) lose their vision 3. 8 times faster, and have twice the risk of developing macular degeneration. A compound known as HNE forms when vegetable oils are heated. HNE attacks the arteries, nerves, and eye tissue. It has been implicated in hardening of the arteries, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, liver disease, as well as ARM. Processed vegetable oils are dangerous to your health and should not be used at all. Cook with butter, lard, or coconut oil.

I love this site and am so pleased it is here for us. I have Macular Degeneration and am looking for a product that has Lutien and Zeaxanthin but cannot find one anywhere. Ferando from Canada may be able to help. I am desperate as my mother went blind with this same problem.

A combo of CoQ10, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, and fish oil has been shown in several studies to both halt and partially reverse vision problems caused by macular degeneration. The info is available online.

My 93 year old mother has been doctoring for years with macular degeneration. She has tried all of the supplements for macular and nothing has helped. She has been to specialists and they say nothing can be done. She is currently taking vitamins from our chiropractor. These are wonderful vitamins that are more like food, but they don't equate to dosages of regular vitamins.

I know we aren't allowed to recommended or prescribe, but will you list the dosages that your grandmother is taking so that we can compare those to what our loved ones are currently taking?

It's not illegal to say something like, "My grandmother is currently taking....." and then list the products and their dosages! (This site doesn't allow brand names and websites to be mentioned, but we don't need them.]

Would be ever so greatful.

God bless.

Would this also help someone with Glaucoma?

Macular Degeneration Supplements: In regards to Fernando from Hamilton, Ontario Canada, he was giving his grandmother high dowes of vitamins for her macular degeneration, but what is "high doses" for each one? I want to get my mother started on this but need to know the dosage of each vitamin.

Thank you
Mary Ojeda

Response to Serge:

08/26/2008: Serge from Chateauguay, Canada replies: "I just found a product that contains all of those supplements in one bottle except for the Zeaxanthin. It's from "NOW Foods" and it's called "Eye Support"."

Yes I know, but remember they will not be HIGH doses. It is impossible to have high doses with one pill. Unless the container says to take 5 a day, then maybe, look into it.

I just found a product that contains all of those supplements in one bottle except for the Zeaxanthin. It's from "NOW Foods" and it's called "Eye Support".

MMS, wondering about it...

Macular Degeneration Reversed!!

Hi everyone, My grandmother is 71years old and has had The dry type of Macular Degeneration for over 5 years, every year it got worse. The dotors told her there was nothing that could be done, basically sending her home to go blind. So I decided to do a ton of research on the subject. I read a bunch of books and many studies on the net of how people have stop and in most causes reversed MD and other common eye dieseses. I also purchased Dr. Lorraine Days CD on MD. All my research basically said the same thing. High intake of dark green vegtables(spinach, broccalie,kale,ect) and orange coloured veggies(carrots, can remember the others) are high vitamins that are vital to eye repair and maintenance. Knowing that my grandmother wasnt going to change her diet dramatically, I opted to get her high doses of the same suppliments found in those foods. This is what I got her to take daily.

1.Lutien and ZEAXANTHIN .........Highest doses available
2.selenium.......................Highest doese available
3.Vitamine C.....................Highest does possible(up to 4000mg, youll know ur taking to much if you get diarria)
4. Beta-Carotene.................Highest doses available
5.Zinc...........................Highest doses availble
6.Vitamine E.....................Highest doses available

My grandmother took this everyday for 4-6months, and last week she went back for her normall eye checkup to see her progress, and sure enough, not only did the macular degeneration stop but her eye sight has improved, and they said that her lense wasnt thinning but instead was getting thicker(Im not sure if they said the lense or the retina, or something else, I apoligize) This was only after 4-6 months of use. So needless to say we are all very Happy and excited, and I have proved to myself that the body can heal itself when given the right tools, that less than what I can say for the doctors that told her there was nothing she could do. PLEASE TRY THIS IT REALLY WORKS, Im not a doctor, but Ive done alot of research on the subject. Please just double check with your doctor or nutricenist about these vitamins before taking them in HIGH DOSES. I want to pass this on so others can help themselfs when no one else seems to be able to. Fern

Update to this, it has now been two years, and two more check ups, and every year her eyesight continues to improve. IT IS ACTUALLY REVERSING!!!