Experts Declare Need for Eye Health Education
Ocular Nutrition Society Issues Consensus Statement from
Experts in Ophthalmology, Optometry, Diet and Nutrition, and Primary Care
GUESTS:
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, Research Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts
Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, president of the Ocular Nutrition Society
On April 10, the Ocular Nutrition Society (ONS) will issue the following statement regarding the urgent need to educate Americans about the role of nutrition in supporting eye health.
Significant scientific evidence exists to support the role of certain nutrients, including zinc, vitamins C and E, lutein, zeaxanthin and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, to help promote health in the aging eye.
The displacement of nutrient-dense foods by processed foods in the Western, or American, diet is disconcerting, as is the lack of awareness of key nutrients and other modifiable risk factors that impact eye health. The lack of key diet-derived nutrients is a modifiable risk factor for protecting eye health, and eating a healthy diet rich in these nutrients is encouraged.
With regard to dietary supplementation, many leading multivitamin and mineral supplements do not contain lutein, zeaxanthin or long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Taking a supplement specifically designed for eye health that contains these key nutrients, in addition to a general nutritional supplement, may therefore be a better approach to filling dietary shortfalls.
There is a need for guidelines that include nutritional recommendations and other lifestyle modifications to aid people in making better choices for protecting the health of their eyes as they age. As such, we support new efforts to develop such guidelines as well as subsequent educational initiatives designed to raise awareness of these recommendations among public and professional audiences.
The statement is the consensus of a multidisciplinary roundtable of experts recently convened by the ONS to explore the role of nutrition in eye health. Experts from the fields of ophthalmology, optometry, diet and nutrition, and primary care reviewed current data regarding nutrients that support the health of the aging eye and the results of a recent survey that examined U.S. baby boomer attitudes and awareness regarding eye health. The roundtable was sponsored by the global eye health company Bausch + Lomb.
The National Eye Institute estimates that over the next 30 years, the number of Americans that experience eye health issues will double because of aging baby boomers. Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. The Relationship of Dietary Carotenoid and Vitamin A, E, and C Intake With Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Case-Control Study. AREDS Report No. 22. Arch Ophthalmol. 2007.125:1225-1232. The demand for vision care service is expected to flood the healthcare system by 2015 due to age-related eye disease and the diabetes epidemic. Ocular Nutrition Society.
For more information please go to www.ocularnutritionsociety.org
MORE ABOUT DR. JEFFREY ANSHEL:
As founder of the Ocular Nutrition Society, Dr. Anshel lectures nationally to eye care providers on nutrition and nutritional genomics topics. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and President of the Ocular Nutrition Society. He maintains a private practice in Carlsbad, CA.
MORE ABOUT DR. ELIZABETH JOHNSON:
Elizabeth J. Johnson, Ph.D. is a research scientist in Boston, Massachusetts. Her research interests are in the area of nutrition and neural health, with a specific focus on the carotenoid lutein and age-related eye diseases and age-related cognitive decline. She has been involved in numerous clinical and epidemiologic studies and has collaborations with academia, industry and government agencies.
