Dried Goji Berries May Fight Age-Related Vision Loss

(Newswire.net — August 22, 2022) Orlando, FL — Today, more and more people suffer from issues like vision loss. There are many factors found to contribute to this condition, and there are also some remedies found to be potentially helpful against it.

A study has shown that dried goji berries may offer protection against age-related vision loss. 

This small, randomized trial was carried out by the University of California, Davis researchers, and its findings were published in the Nutrients journal.

The investigators have particularly revealed that regular intake of a small serving of dried goji berries may aid in preventing or delaying the development of age-related macular degeneration or AMD in healthy middle-aged individuals. 

Experts have long warned that AMD is the top cause of vision loss in older individuals. There is an estimated number of over 11 million people in the United States and 170 million globally who suffer from it.

“AMD affects your central field of vision and can affect your ability to read or recognize faces,” said Glenn Yiu.

Yiu is a co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences.

The investigators have found that 13 healthy subjects aged 45 to 65 who consumed 28 grams of goji berries five times a week for 90 days achieved an increase in the density of protective pigments in their eyes.  

Aside from goji berries, they also consumed lutein and zeaxanthin, all three of which filter out harmful blue light and offer antioxidant protection. These are effects found to be protective to the eyes against aging.

In contrast, 14 study subjects treated with a commercial supplement for eye health over the same period did not experience such an increase. 

“Lutein and zeaxanthin are like sunscreen for your eyes,” said lead author Xiang Li, a doctoral candidate in the Nutritional Biology Program.

“The higher the lutein and zeaxanthin in your retina, the more protection you have. Our study found that even in normal healthy eyes, these optical pigments can be increased with a small daily serving of goji berries,” said Li.

There are many types of berries being widely studied by researchers today. They are widely popularized by the antioxidant agents they contain that are found to be particularly protective of the eyes.

These include cranberries, which can be obtained through the use of supplements like Divine Bounty D-mannose. Some studies suggest cranberries have eye health benefits.

Aside from having D-mannose and cranberry, Divine Bounty D-mannose also has dandelion extracts that are also linked with a myriad of health benefits (amazon.com/D-Mannose-600mg-Cranberry-Dandelion-Extract/dp/B01LX5KGF0).