Combat cataracts & macular degeneration with exercise

Eye-related health problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration are on the rise. Some recent studies conducted by the United States Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have revealed that vigorous exercise could lower the risk of both of these.

Here's a report of those findings and more details from Natural News:

Details and Findings of Studies

"The studies, published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, had looked at about 41,000 runners for a period of over 7 years. They used data from the National Runners' Health Study, a project which began in 1991 to ascertain the beneficial effects of running. About 29,000 men and 12,000 women were followed, and, at the end of the study, 733 of the male runners reported a cataract diagnosis; the number of women who reported having the condition was not significant enough for analysis.

The researchers found that males who ran more than 5.7 miles each day had a 35% reduced risk of developing cataracts, as compared to men who hit the road less than 1.4 miles each day. Using the men's performances in 10-kilometer races, which provide a good measure of overall fitness, it was also found that the fittest guys had only 50% the cataract risk of those who were the least fit. With cataracts affecting more than half of Americans aged over 65 and also being the number one cause of blindness, this is certainly interesting information for running enthusiasts and those hoping to fend off the disease.

Another study looked at the link between running and aged-related macular degeneration. From the 152 men and women who reported a diagnosis of this condition, those who ran between 1.2 and 2.4 miles each day experienced a 19% reduced risk, as compared to those who covered less than 1.2 miles each day. The corresponding decrease in risk for those whose daily mileage was over 2.4 miles was between 42% and 54%. Again, with age-related macular degeneration being the number one cause of irreversible vision loss in older white Americans, this is another piece of interesting and useful information.

"In addition to obtaining regular eye exams, people can take a more active role in preserving their vision. The studies suggest that people can perhaps lessen their risk for these diseases by taking part in a fitness regimen that includes vigorous exercise. These findings are compelling because of the large size of the study, and the fact that we are looking at something that is fairly well defined: vigorous exercise, as opposed to more moderate exercise," said Paul Williams, an epidemiologist at the laboratory's Life Sciences Division and part of the study team.

Is Running Required to Reap the Said Benefits?

This study was among the first to draw a positive link between vigorous exercise and the prevention of vision loss. But many people cannot really run, or at least not much. Will walking help, too, then? "We know there are important health benefits to walking, including lowering heart disease risk. It is quite likely that the study results might apply to a lesser extent to smaller doses of more moderate exercise," said Williams.

Importance of Nutrition for Eye Health

What else can we do to improve eye health? Most certainly, as with all other health conditions, nutrition plays a key role. Some research has suggested that antioxidants could reduce one's risk of cataracts as well as macular degeneration. In addition, vitamin A, found abundantly in carrots, can also protect against blindness, while vitamin C, richly found in oranges, may help prevent or alleviate glaucoma.

Essential fatty acids found in cold-water fish and flaxseed oil is another group of important nutrients, possibly helping to protect against macular damage as well as to alleviate the symptoms of dry eye syndrome. Other useful nutrients include vitamin E, selenium, zinc and bioflavanoids - be sure to get enough of them in your diet.

Avoid Cigarette Smoke, Too

Another risk factor for degenerative eye disease is smoking. A study published a few years ago in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that smoking raised one's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration; it was also revealed that more smoking translated to higher risk.

Those who regularly smoked a pack or more of cigarettes a day for 40 years had almost three times the risk of the condition as compared to non-smokers. Even non-smoking partners who had lived with smokers for at least 5 years had elevated risk - almost two-fold.

Conclusion

These tips and suggestions would go a long way in helping to improve one's eye health. Vigorous exercise, good nutrition and avoidance of cigarette smoke, whether first-hand or second-hand - all these simple steps play a large part not just in eye health, but one's overall health and vitality, too? Certainly, the recent studies have given us one more reason to regularly don our running shoes.

Sources

Vigorous Exercise May Help Prevent Vision Loss (http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-rel...)

Nutrition and Your Eyes: In a Nutshell (http://www.allaboutvision.com/nutri...)

J C Khan, D A Thurlby, H Shahid, D G Clayton, J R W Yates, M Bradley, A T Moore, A C Bird. Smoking and age related macular degeneration: the number of pack years of cigarette smoking is a major determinant of risk for both geographic atrophy and choroidal neovascularisation. British Journal of Ophthalmology 2006;90:75-80."

Herb - Dill

Dill is a perennial herb with slender stems and delicate leaves, native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia. According to the Bible, the Pharisees often paid tithes with dill. To the Greeks, dill is a sign of prosperity. In the 8th Century, it was used to relieve hiccups and in the Middle Ages it was used as a love potion and to keep witches away. The Puritans and Quakers often gave dill seeds to their children to chew on during long church services as it suppresses hunger.

Plants require full sun and warm to hot summer temperatures for best results. Flavor will be greatly diminished if planted in even partial sun areas. A word of caution: Dill and Fennel should never be planted near each other because they can hybridise.

Dill seeds are used as a spice, have a caraway flavor, and were originally used to soothe the stomach after meals. Seeds can be harvested by cutting the flower heads just when the seed begins to ripen. Place the seed heads upside down in a paper bag and leave in a warm dry place for 1 week. Then separate the seeds from the stems and store seeds in an airtight container.

Dill leaves are considered an herb. Fresh leaves are called "dill" and dried leaves are called "dill weed." Dill seed and leaves are used to flavor many foods such as cured salmon, borscht and other soups, as well as pickles. Dill leaves are best used fresh, as they lose flavor rapidly when dried, but can be preserved for several months if freeze-dried.

Free Alternative Health Information

One of my favorite alternative medicine help sites is The Health Sciences Institute. At their site you can search through seven years of their E-Alerts either by keywords or by date and subscribe to their free newsletter by email. Recently they've added two new features to their site.

The first new feature is "Find a cure" where you can get information on specific health issues.

The second new feature is "Find a Doc." If you're looking for a new doctor that specializes in alternative, natural or complementary medicine, you just select your state, and you'll find listings of local naturopathic and osteopathic doctors, along with medical doctors who are knowledgeable about alternative medicine.

All of these features are completely free and you don't have to be a member to take advantage of the helpful information they provide. Here's a link to their site if you'd like to check it out: Health Science Institute

Herb - Rosemary

Rosemary is a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region and a member of the mint family. The plant tolerates drought conditions, is pest resistant, has attractive foliage and is considered easy to grow for beginners.

The fresh and dried leaves are often used in Mediterranean dishes. A tea made from Rosemary and Sage has long been used to darken hair and cover grays (for details read my previous post HERE). For health purposes, Rosemary is high in iron, calcium and Vitamin B6. It has long been thought to improve memory, and for that reason is used as a symbol of remembrance for weddings and funerals in Europe and Australia. A study found that carnosic acid from Rosemary may protect the brain from free radicals, lowering risk of strokes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's. It contains many potentially active compounds including antioxidants such as rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol and rosmanol.

Rosemary is considered safe but caution should be taken for possible allergic reactions or epileptic seizures. Rosemary Essential Oils have been linked to seizures in a small number of otherwise healthy adults and children and is particularly toxic if ingested. Large quantities of Rosemary leaves have been known to cause coma, spasm, vomiting and pulmonary edema that can be fatal.

Have a safe and happy Easter everyone!

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Effective cancer killing compound

Researchers have developed a new compound using traditional Chinese medicine that is 1200 times more effective at killing certain types of cancer cells than standard cancer killing drugs. It's accomplished by attaching a chemical homing device to the herb artemisinin, targeting cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. Artemisinin (sweet wormwood plant) has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years and in some Asian countries is eaten in salads.

According to Dr. Mercola, here is a list of things you can do to lower your risk of cancer:
* Normalize your Vitamin D levels - it can reduce your risk by over 50%
* Learn to manage negative emotions - according the the CDC, unmanaged negative emotions cause the majority of illnesses.
* Discover your nutritional type and eat accordingly.
* Avoid processed foods, grains and sugars.
* Exercise
* Eat your vegetables
* Normalize your omega-3 to omega-6 fat ratio
* Maintain ideal body weight
* Get sufficient quality sleep each night

You can read more information on any of these topics at Dr. Mercola's website.

Preparing your soil for a vegetable garden

Having a successful vegetable garden starts with good site location and soil preparation. Here are some steps to help get you off to a good start:

* Chose a site that gets 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day, with good drainage and away from large trees. Plants need moisture to grow, but most will not be happy if they're planted where water stands or it's constantly wet. And large trees will deplete the soil of nutrients needed by the vegetable plants.

* Test your soil's PH and adjust as needed.

* Determine the type of soil you have. Soil that is very sandy can be improved by adding top soil and organic material such as compost. A heavy clay soil can be improved by adding sand and organic material. A word of caution: don't add sand alone without the organic material as your soil could become like concrete. The combination will loosen the clay and improve your soil's drainage.

* Consider raised planting beds if you have clay soil. They can be easily made by raking soil from either side into a mound about 16 to 24 inches wide and 6 to 12 inches high. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, and radishes do very well in raised beds because the soil is lighter. Other vegetables do well also as the sun warms the raised beds sooner and gets the plants off to a quicker start.

* Start a compost pile if you don't already have one using leaves, non-treated grass clippings, some soil and kitchen scraps. You'll have wonderful organic compost later in the season to boost soil nutrients without chemical fertilizers. Check out my previous post "Why compost and how to make it." .

Some prep work in the beginning will cut down on the need for constant watering later on in the sweltering dry Summer months. Here are some ways to conserve moisture and keep your plants happy:
* Add a 2 to 3 inch layer of organic mulch around your plants. Grass clippings work very well as long as they aren't from chemically treated grass.
* Weave a soaker hose through your garden. Watering with a soaker hose allows all of the water to go right into the soil, as opposed to a sprayer which loses some of the water through evaporation.
* Watering early in the morning also increases the amount of moisture that goes right to the plant. Watering at night could allow the start of fungal problems.
* Make your own drip irrigation system from soda pop bottles. Instructions for this can be found at You Grow Girl.

Happy gardening everyone! I'm itching to get my hands in the dirt after the long cold winter here.