Are vision improvement supplements advertised in flying magazines useful?

[kontiki]

I think we've all seen the adds. Do any of them work?

 

[bbchien]

So. Think for a minute. If they really worked, would they be relegated to advertisements?

 

[Velocity173]

I just take a no name multi vitamin from Walmart that's advertised for vision. It contains Lutein, the same stuff the brand name guys are selling but a fraction of the price. Won't prevent presbyopia now that I'm over 40 but proven to help the retina. Can't say I have any results as of yet since I've always had 20/15 vision anyway. I suppose if I'm going to take a multivitamin everyday why not take one thats good for your eyes?

 

[jason]

So. Think for a minute. If they really worked, would they be relegated to advertisements?

If it "worked" the pharma companies would be the ones producing it and Docs would be prescribing it by the semi-load.

 

[AdamZ]

So. Think for a minute. If they really worked, would they be relegated to advertisements?

HA Bada Bing! EXACTLY!

 

[Anthony]

Sure do. Especially the prescription sunglasses.

 

[denverpilot]

Scheydens.

 

[poadeleted20]

I just take a no name multi vitamin from Walmart that's advertised for vision. It contains Lutein, the same stuff the brand name guys are selling but a fraction of the price. Won't prevent presbyopia now that I'm over 40 but proven to help the retina.

Proven? Really? Can you point to the independent studies or refereed journal articles?

 

[Drachen596]

my aunt has been taking Ocutvie from Bausch & Lomb. says its helped her vision and she doesn't need her glasses when doing up close work anymore.

i have no idea what her prescription or eyesight is like though and it could be just her imagination.

 

[bbchien]

Ah, testimonials!

 

[X3 Skier]

Proven? Really? Can you point to the independent studies or refereed journal articles?

Don't know of any but both of my Wife's eye surgeons recommended Lutien for her after cataract removals. Since the multivitamins we both take are the same price with or without, why not?

Cheers

 

[Velocity173]

Proven? Really? Can you point to the independent studies or refereed journal articles?

Why is it always like being in a court room on this site?

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that our bodies cannot produce on their own. These vital nutrients help filter harmful blue light, the kind of light which can damage the macula, the region of the retina responsible for central vision.

Observational studies have noted that higher dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is related to reduced risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, two eye conditions for which there is minimal options when it comes to effective prevention.

Research published in Nutrition & Metabolism found that a nutritional supplement containing meso-zeaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin effectively increased the optical density of the macular pigment in eyes of the majority of human subjects. The macular pigment is believed to offer protection against the development of macular degeneration

Beyond reducing the risk of developing eye disease, separate studies have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin improve visual performance in AMD patients, cataract patients and individuals with good health.

 

[bbchien]

Why is it always like being in a court room on this site?

If you understand clincal research endpoints, you would not feel this way.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants that our bodies cannot produce on their own. These vital nutrients help filter harmful blue light, the kind of light which can damage the macula, the region of the retina responsible for central vision.

Observational studies have noted that higher dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin is related to reduced risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, two eye conditions for which there is minimal options when it comes to effective prevention.

Research published in Nutrition & Metabolism found that a nutritional supplement containing meso-zeaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin effectively increased the optical density of the macular pigment in eyes of the majority of human subjects. The macular pigment is believed to offer protection against the development of macular degeneration

But that has never been proven.

Beyond reducing the risk of developing eye disease, separate studies have shown that lutein and zeaxanthin improve visual performance in AMD patients, cataract patients and individuals with good health.

Short term, maybe. Long term- nada.

This is not not a "court room". the public's ability to understand what is reproduceable science and what is soft pseudo-"science" is getting near nil. For example, the study in N&M chose an endpoint convenint to their assay results- but not a clinically useable data point.

In fact if you look of evince of prolongation of life and /or organ survival in the CLINICAL DATA you get a goose egg. The endpoint here has to be long term duration.

All the stuff being hawked at GNC stores- what I see are guys getting premature kidney stones from phosphate load, etc. Lutein- probably doesn't hurt, but has no epidemiologically provable effect on longevity.

So now this will devolve to "preponderance of the experts", as if we can "vote" on scientific validity. Yuh.

 

[DaleB]

So. Think for a minute. If they really worked, would they be relegated to advertisements?

I dunno. Should I apply that argument to Allegra, Cialis, Lipitor, Zocor, Cymbalta, Ambien and the dozens of others that are hawked from billions of dollars worth of TV and magazine ads?

But I do get your point. I assume these things are made with a heavy dose of snake oil, just playing devil's advocate.

 

[Velocity173]

From the American Optometric Association.

Research - Lutein and Zeaxanthin and AMD

One of the first large studies on carotenoids is the Eye Disease Case Control Study, in which diet was compared to the risk for developing AMD. Results found a significantly lower risk for developing the eye disease in people with high amounts of lutein+zeaxanthin in their blood. Also, those people eating a diet with the most lutein+zeaxanthin (as much as 5.8 milligrams (mg) per day) had a significantly lower risk for AMD than those whose diet contained the least amount (as low as 1.2 mg per day). Dietary studies confirmed the association between frequent consumption of spinach or collard greens, particularly good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, and lower AMD risk.
Similar results were found in a recent analysis of a national dietary study called the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or NHANES III. This analysis also showed that consuming 6 mg per day of lutein+zeaxanthin was associated with reduced risk for developing AMD.​

Seems like it's proven to me. Maybe this isn't valid research, I don't know. How many prescription meds do we take that are proven to work but only for some people with certain conditions? Not everything is 100 % effective, but like I said if I'm going to take a multivitamin everyday, why not one with Lutein?​

 

[Rigged4Flight]

I dunno. Should I apply that argument to Allegra, Cialis, Lipitor, Zocor, Cymbalta, Ambien and the dozens of others that are hawked from billions of dollars worth of TV and magazine ads?

But I do get your point. I assume these things are made with a heavy dose of snake oil, just playing devil's advocate.

This is the second time you have beaten me to a post that I was about to make.

Stop reading my mind!

 

[weilke]

Th NHANES data is one of the few areas of medicine were an actual relationship between a vitamin and a disease could be demonstrated. That of course does not mean that your eyessight will improve after taking a particular supplement, it just means that your risk of getting AMD is lower if you have a plant-rich diet.

If you don't want to get premature cataracts, buy some good wrap-around sunglassess and wear them while flying (also don't use an arc-welder without a mask and wear infrared filtering goggles while glass-blowing or operating a steel-mill).

 

[timwinters]

The Claroxan ads in Pilot magazine are actually one of five reasons I let my membership lapse last month. I called them last November about it.

Me: "Don't you think you should avoid running ads designed to scam your membership?"

AOPA: "Our ads are an important source of AOPA revenue"

Me: "So, you care more about your ad revenue than you do about keeping your members from being scammed?"

AOPA: "Our ads are an important source of AOPA revenue"

End of conversation.

The other four reasons:

1. When I contacted them to see if they had any resources that might help me "edumakate Barney" they told me "educating the general public about aviation is somewhere that we don't need to be going". Me: "Really? Doesn't public education = important PR for GA?" End of conversation

2. Sending me (what at first glance appeared to be) an invoice for insurance renewal when I don't have insurance with them.

3. Throwing Blue Ash under the bus.

4. But the final straw came last month when they charged my credit card for auto renew after I had given them specific instructions in early May to cancel auto renew and then followed up a week later to confirm that it'd been cancelled. They confirmed during that follow-up call that I was no longer an "auto renew member". Hmmm, somehow I still auto renewed.

Strike Five.

Edit:

In three of those five reasons the AOPA proved to me that they don't have a problem trying to screw me. An organization should look out for the best interests of their membership, not try to screw them.

On another board someone commented "I wish you hadn't left because you can't change an organization from the outside". That may be true but it's also quite difficult to change a behemoth like AOPA from the inside and in this case I truly think the only way they'll change is if enough people leave.

 

[W. Stewart]

my aunt has been taking Ocutvie from Bausch & Lomb. says its helped her vision and she doesn't need her glasses when doing up close work anymore.

i have no idea what her prescription or eyesight is like though and it could be just her imagination.

Your aunt probably is developing "second sight", a common misconception that an older person's vision is getting better because they become less dependent on reading glasses for near tasks. This is commonly the case during onset of cataract--the eye typically becomes more myopic (or less hyperopic). Someone has needed readers for years, and now s/he doesn't, so "his eyes are getting better". Nevermind that the distance vision is becoming worse as one's focal point moves in!

As far as I know, the only proven benefit of vitamins on the eye is with the AREDS preparation with regard to slowing the advancement of moderate macular degeneration. (One variant offered by Ocuvite, among other manufacturers) is the AREDS formula). Even then, the vitamins have never been shown to make anything BETTER. Also, antioxidants are thought to retard the onset of certain cataracts.

Wells
ophthalmologist, or "Eye MD"

 

[X3 Skier]

As far as I know, the only proven benefit of vitamins on the eye is with the AREDS preparation with regard to slowing the advancement of moderate macular degeneration. (One variant offered by Ocuvite, among other manufacturers) is the AREDS formula). Even then, the vitamins have never been shown to make anything BETTER. Also, antioxidants are thought to retard the onset of certain cataracts.

Wells
ophthalmologist, or "Eye MD"

Just what my wife's eye surgeons said. Won't heal Macular Degeneration or make it better but might slow it.

Cheers

 

[bbchien]

From the American Optometric Association.

Research - Lutein and Zeaxanthin and AMD

One of the first large studies on carotenoids is the Eye Disease Case Control Study, in which diet was compared to the risk for developing AMD. Results found a significantly lower risk for developing the eye disease in people with high amounts of lutein+zeaxanthin in their blood. Also, those people eating a diet with the most lutein+zeaxanthin (as much as 5.8 milligrams (mg) per day) had a significantly lower risk for AMD than those whose diet contained the least amount (as low as 1.2 mg per day). Dietary studies confirmed the association between frequent consumption of spinach or collard greens, particularly good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, and lower AMD risk.
Similar results were found in a recent analysis of a national dietary study called the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or NHANES III. This analysis also showed that consuming 6 mg per day of lutein+zeaxanthin was associated with reduced risk for developing AMD.​

Seems like it's proven to me. Maybe this isn't valid research, I don't know. How many prescription meds do we take that are proven to work but only for some people with certain conditions? Not everything is 100 % effective, but like I said if I'm going to take a multivitamin everyday, why not one with Lutein?​

whatever...