Macular degeneration is an eye disease that occurs in the tissue that lines the back of your eye. The macula is an area of tissue made up of rods and cones, which are cells that help provide you with straight-ahead vision. Damage to these cells will result in serious vision loss. Treatments do not usually reverse damage, so prevention is important. Some people turn to the herbal product goji for prevention, but this supplement may not offer all the protection you need.
Types
Doctors can identify two different types of macular degeneration. The more common one is the dry form, resulting from damage to the rods and cones. The dry form of macular degeneration may cause blurry vision and difficulty reading in low lighting. These changes may occur slowly, and a person may not notice the changes until they interfere with tasks.
The wet form of macular degeneration occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the macula, sometimes in response to damage to the cells. These abnormal vessels may burst, leaking fluid under the macular tissue. This may raise the macula, displacing the tissue and damaging vision. Wet macular degeneration can affect vision quickly, causing a noticeable decrease in vision. You may notice that objects you know have straight lines, such as telephone poles, suddenly appear bent or jagged.
Goji
Goji, also known as lycium, is a shrub that produces berries that have high levels of antioxidants. Some people use these berries to treat or prevent a host of ailments, including macular degeneration. In one study, researchers determined that using goji berry supplements caused a significant increase in the levels of antioxidants in the blood, and this may help reduce the progression of macular degeneration damage. The results, however, do not indicate the exact link between the high antioxidant levels in the blood and the effects of the macula.
Known Prevention
In a 2001 study completed by the National Eye Institute, researchers found that high doses of antioxidant nutrients reduce the risks of advanced macular degeneration by around 25 percent. The study did not evaluate the role of lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidant pigments often found together in brightly colored foods. At time of publication, the National Eye Institute is continuing this study to examine the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in macular degeneration prevention. The results could help researchers determine the potential role of goji, which contains a significant amount of these antioxidant nutrients.
Considerations
Talk with your doctor before you begin taking goji supplements or increasing your intake of the berries. If you have macular degeneration, or if your doctor informs you that you have risk factors for the disease, you should not rely solely on goji to resolve your condition. Macular degeneration damage is typically permanent, but working closely with your eye doctor may help you reduce your risk of vision loss or help you minimize further damage.
References
- National Eye Institute; Facts About Age-Related Macular Degeneration; September 2009
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Lycium; October 2010
- MedlinePlus; Lycium; November 2010
- National Eye Institute; The AREDS Formulation and Age-Related Macular Degeneration; October 2003
- ClinicalTrials.gov; Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2); January 2009
- "Optometry and Vision Science"; Goji Berry Effects on Macular Characteristics and Plasma Antioxidant Levels; Peter Bucheli, et al.; February 2011
