From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Thu May 25 14:29:15 EST 1995 Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 14:21:25 -0500 (EST) From: Alex Eulenberg Subject: Carrots and the eyes Status: RO X-Status: Here three ways carrots are good for your eyes: 1. Vitamin A. Carrots contain beta carotene, which your body converts into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a major component of the retinal "emulsion" known as visual purple, which picks up light. If you don't get enough vitamin A, your night vision suffers. 2. Potassium. Carrots contain lots of potassium, which is good for the muscles of the eyes. Lack of potassium leads to muscle cramps. 3. Crunchy! Eating raw carrots is good exercise for your jaws; it relieves facial tension and with it eye strain. --Alex ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Tue May 30 09:44:16 EST 1995 Date: Tue, 30 May 1995 09:27:08 -0500 (EST) From: Alex Eulenberg Subject: Vegetables for the eyes Status: RO X-Status: This news flash comes courtesy of the new EyeCare Connection page , run by I_SEE member Larry Bickford . EATING YOUR VEGETABLES MAY LOWER RISK OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION (ARMD) Evidence continues to mount supporting the theory that at least two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin play a key role in ARMD, a condition which causes decreased visual acuity and blindness in older adults. Researchers at Harvard Medical School compared the dietary habits of patients diagnosed with ARMD to those with other eye pathologies but without ARMD. They found a direct correlation with increased consumption of carotenoids and decreased risk of ARMD. Science has long accepted the role of beta carotene's related compounds in retinal neurological processing, but recent studies indicate that some of the other carotenoids may have more profound effects on the aging eye. Along with the antioxidant minerals selenium, chromium and the polypeptide glutathione (and the related amino acid glutamine), these nutrients may provide the key to maintaining better visual function in later life. Lutein, zeaxanthin, as well as beta carotene and xanthophills are found in dark green leafy vegetables primarily in the cruciferous family. These include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, and spinach It appears that just two or three servings a week provides significant nutrient levels. (Various journal articles, March & April 1995) From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Fri Sep 8 10:17:40 EST 1995 Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 09:18:57 -0500 (EST) From: Ari Solovyova Subject: Re: Howdy! Status: RO X-Status: Hey, why don't you look up some herb suppliers in "The Herb Book" by John Lust (every library and almost every bookstore has it)? Tea is better, it's true -- and it tastes so good! Try eyebright too. I've been reading about it in some Russian herbals lately. It's called "ochanka", and it has great many uses besides helping your vision (regulates the function of the digestive organs, in particular). Ari Solovyova On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, Kellie Elizabeth Cass wrote: > N Does anyone know where can I purchase Bilbery? Does it come in a > N tea? Jam? err? > > I keep hearing that bilberry leaf tea is great for eye care and > the best form of bilberry. But no health food store I can find > sells it! There are lots of pills and capsules but they are very > expensive and I hear the tea is much better. > > . Kellie > > `[1;32;40mRainbow V 1.17.0 for Delphi - Registered > ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Fri Sep 8 15:31:13 EST 1995 Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1995 12:32:54 -0700 From: kope@primenet.com (LeRoy Kopisch) Subject: Re: Howdy! Status: RO X-Status: At 10:41 9/7/95 -0400, Kellie Elizabeth Cass wrote: > N Does anyone know where can I purchase Bilbery? Does it come in a > N tea? Jam? err? > >I keep hearing that bilberry leaf tea is great for eye care and >the best form of bilberry. But no health food store I can find >sells it! There are lots of pills and capsules but they are very >expensive and I hear the tea is much better. > >. Kellie > >`[1;32;40mRainbow V 1.17.0 for Delphi - Registered > >Your comments on bilberry tea intrigue me. I have never considered the tea, probably because I have never seen it advertised.. My wife and I are taking the 375 mg capsules, which the bottle states may be opened into a glass of warm water to make a tea.But the capsules are so easy to take, why go to the trouble..From this labelling I assume I am taking the crushed leaf type.. I am checking around to see if I can find the extract type as it seems most of the medical research has been done using the extract. I am finding it very difficult to find out any trustworthy facts on the bilberry that is available. The recent report made available here, written by Paul Bergner, stated that one type of leaf had a detrimental effect on the liver. The type that I trust the herb sellers are putting out is the "Vaccinitum Myrtillus" or more commonly referred to as V Myrtillis..This Type appears to be the only type that has been researched.. You are right that it is rather expensive, as the first bottle I bought at the local vitamin dispensary, that I am on the least precarious belief level with, cost me twenty dollars for 90 capsules. I have since found a catalog sales outfit that during a special sales period, allowed me to get them for ten dollars per 100 capsules. We started taking bilberry about two months ago with very satisfactory results..and now plan on giving it at least a 6 month trial. We started by taking 3 capsules a day for about a month, then noticed as researchers have noted that we were both feeling the diuretic effect of the bilberry so we have cut back to 2 a day and seem to be getting the effects we wanted on our eyesight.. As for concrete results; I had my regular eye exam about a month after we started the bilberry.I have an exam every four months because of a 15 year battle with glaucoma. I got the lowest pressure reading on both eyes, that I have recorded over the past 3 years.Not by much, but the lowest reading n three years and I was shocked because the only thing I was doing differently was the bilberry..I had the tech double check since I have had wrong results before, But he duplicated the first results so for the time being I have to assume they were accurate. The next check a couple of months from now will be the clincher, I hope. My wife who has no glaucoma problems went for her normal yearly checkup and asked for a new prescription so she could get her old glasses replaced.. When the the lady that was measuring up her eyes for a fit of the new glasses, looked at the data, she acted very surprised and blurted out "Your eyes have improved since the test you had 2 years ago". Eyes of people your age don't improve but deteriorate a little year to year. (Our age is a secret, but we did both retire a number of years ago.) Our personal observations are; I am not wearing my glasses around the house, which I have had to do for many years. I use a set of reading glasses occasionally, but find some times I can read comfortably without them. This is a new and novel experience. I have set up an eye chart here in our computer room, which allows us to make random checks, and my wife has noticed that her eye that does not have an interoc in it, but does have a developing cataract, is reading the chart better..I don't know whether this can be ascribed to improvement in the cataract or to improvement in vision intensity..Time must pass before we know.. Hope this rather lenghty letter may allay some of your apprehension and prove to be of some help to you. ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Sat Sep 9 09:18:28 EST 1995 Date: Sat, 09 Sep 1995 09:59:06 -0400 (EDT) From: Kellie Elizabeth Cass Subject: Bilberry tea Status: RO X-Status: On 9-SEP-1995 03:16:35.5 vicc said N my father actually is a herbalist distiler and makes N bilbery among another 100 or so various other concotions. N hmmm maybe thereis an export market for this stuff? Dear Vic, Considering how impossible it is to find this in the store, I sure think so! I feel like I've been to every single health store in NYC (and there are LOTS) but no one knew a thingabout the tea. I hear that this is the best form of bilberry as well as the cheapest. (Cheapsest is fanatastic but best is the most important so since its the best I'd want it even if it was the most expensive). It is also suppose to taste great. . Kellie `[1;37;42mRainbow V 1.17.0 for Delphi - Registered ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Sat Sep 23 17:27:57 EST 1995 Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 17:01:27 -0500 (EST) From: Alex Eulenberg Subject: Bilberry nectar Status: RO X-Status: Bilberry jam was said to improve the night vision of Royal Air Force pilots in World War II -- that's what all the books say. Modern experiments confirm the beneficial effects of bilberry extract on the retinal capillaries. The extract also appears to help in cases of glaucoma. Unfortunately, no one I ever talked to has ever been able to find this jam in stores. At the health food stores, you can get pricey bilberry extract pills, but there too, no jam.=20 Well, today I found something close... bilberry nectar! It sells for $7.75 for for a 500ml (17 oz.) wine-style bottle at the local health food store.= =20 It's imported from Switzerland. The ingredients are "Juice from organically grown forest bilberries, spring water, fructose." It also=20 says "Enjoy 1 glass of juice before each meal as a healthy addition to=20 your diet." I tried some. Not bad! Like grape juice. I doubt I'll be able to afford=20 one glass of it before each meal, though. A nice alternative to wine, thoug= h. The company that imports it in the US is Bioforce of America, Ltd. Kinderhook, NY 12106 In Spain... Bioforce Espa=F1a Flor de Loto S.A. E-08021 Barcelona And here's what looks like the Swiss Address.. Biotta AG, CH-8274 T=E4gerwilen R.S.I. 40.4044/CAT ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Fri Sep 29 15:09:33 EST 1995 Date: Sat, 16 Sep 1995 09:12:45 -0700 From: kope@primenet.com (LeRoy Kopisch) Subject: Re: bilberry,vitamins and eyesight Status: RO X-Status: At 07:42 9/15/95 +0200, ozden yumusak wrote: >Hi, > >I have Retinitis Pigmentosa, this disease causes degeneration in retina=20 >by times, This, of course requires to protect eye more than normal eyes.=20 >I am now taking some vitamin suplements, but I started taking it=20 >recently. Only vit a, but 5000 IU daily.=20 > >Is there a total vitamin supplement you take daily? What is its brand?=20 >Are the supplements you take have benefit for RP? > >Bye > >Ozden Yumusak > >yumusak@itu.ch > > I wish I could give you some accurate answers, but I am neither a doctor nor a vitamin expert...My problems were not one of retinal disfunction so I have not done any vitamin research toward this problem. Having said that, I might genera- lize a bit...If I was to make one fairly sure suggestion it would be=7F to first try Vitamin "C" in dosage levels as high as you can stand with out stomach upset. I think Doctor Linus Pauling was right in his assessment of C..It is needed by every cell in the body in rather large amounts. I have never heard or read of any=7F bad side effects from large doses of this vitamin, except the problem of loose bowels when too much is taken. There are vitamin mixtures in every vitamin store and from every mail order supplier specificly for the eye..Each company has their own brand name..One calls it Ocuvite, another refers to Eyetamins. I have looked at the makeup of these and they are all very similar, invariblly containing Carotene, C and E plus several trace minerals. I have a friend who swears by these, as having helped his eyes, but I don't think he ever told me what his problem is.. I noticed you said you are taking 5,000 units of A...I personally prefer taking the Beta Carotene and let the body produce the A it needs from the carotene.. In substantial doses of 25 to 50,000 it is supposedly safer and with fewer side effects.. Right now I am investigating the eye benefittng effect of Bilberry.. The claims for this herb are interesting, but the claim that it strengthens the capillaries and improves the blood flow is the one that intrigues me the most. The deterioration with age or disease of the capillaries in the retina with their vital enriched blood flow, worries me more than any other factor in protecting my eyesight...How will I know if it accomplishes this, is something I don't know at present. But If over a 6 month period I find that my vision is truly benefitting from the use of it, I will probably assume that it is the vital capillaries that have benefitted. best regards: ========================================================================= From aeulenbe@indiana.edu Thu Nov 13 20:23:45 1995 Date: Mon, 13 Nov 1995 20:09:08 -0500 (EST) From: Betty Martini Subject: Bilberry Information Number Status: RO X-Status: Over the past months there has been discussion and questions about bilberry. I became interested myself because with the volumes of mail I receive I some- times have spent 12 hours at the computer. My vision became so blurred I had to use glasses to read, and only had used glasses for night driving. Didn't know much about bilberry but picked up some at the health food store. Also put sea salt on my computer because a journalist told me it would cut down on the radiation and help. Well its been about a month or so now and I notice my vision is no longer blurred when I read a book. Yesterday I finally saw an ad in the paper that gave a number where you can get information. It's 1 800 -818-9131. Perhaps they send out information. It is interesting that what caught my eye in the ad was MACULAR DEGENERATION in large print. Then they showed some blurred tulips and said "Before it makes your world look like this... you should read this: Here's what the ad said: "Today, 83% of eye care professionals recommend nutritional supplements like Bilberry 2020 for the eyes, even for patients concerned with macular degeneration and cataracts. Providing specific nutritional support to the structure and function of the eye, two Bilberry 2020 caplets a day can help strengthen capillaries and inhibit deterioration. In a recent pilot study of 100 people taking it as a supplement, 55% reported benefits after four weeks ... and 78% after eight weeks." So for those looking for more information on Bilberry I hope this information number helps. Regards Betty Operation Mission Possible P.S. I have been exceptionally pleased with its use. Betty Martini Domain: betty@pd.org UUCP: ...!emory!pd.org!betty ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Tue May 9 14:45:38 EST 1995 Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 14:35:27 -0500 (EST) From: Alex Eulenberg Subject: Re: eyebright Status: RO X-Status: On Tue, 9 May 1995, Pankaj Shah wrote: > Hello, I have heard of something sold in health stores called eyebright. > Could anyone tell me if this is useful. Does it reverse myopia? > Is it just quakery?? Thanks for all responses. > Pankaj Shah I have used eyebright herb on several occasions as a tea and as an eyewash. It was particularly expensive -- over $50 a pound (typical herbs are $10-15/pound). My most amazing experience in myopia reduction occured after drinking eyebright tea once a day for I think two or three days. But at that time, I was also doing intensive patching therapy. I seem to recall a certain tingling sensation (different from the sensation sometimes that comes from practing distance viewing) and a "strong" feeling in my eyes after taking the herb. This all wore off after several days. I also stopped doing the patching. As you can see, not a very controlled experiment! Eyebright is supposed to releive eyestrain, and to the extent that myopia is caused by eyestrain, eyebright will reduce myopia. I think it's worth it, if your health food store sells it in bulk, to try say $2.00 worth, which will yield a few cups of tea -- enough so that you can see if it does anything. You can also try it as an eyewash: make tea, let it cool off (!) and then put some in an eye cup (available at the pharmacy) and swish around. This may be even more effective than drinking it. --Alex ========================================================================= From owner-i_see@indiana.edu Sat Dec 16 03:58:56 EST 1995 Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 23:33:52 -0500 From: Alex Eulenberg Subject: Re: Vision Food Supplements Status: RO X-Status: On sci.med.vision RMhound wrote: >Anyone have info on the food supplement 'Bright Eyes' and its value for >treating eye problems? I believe the supplement 'Bright Eyes' is made >from a plant called 'Bright Eyes'. > Rich That's eyebright. It's sold in capsules, but it tastes great as a tea, too. There's an herbal tea blend called "Bright Eyes" that contains eyebright, and the dried herb is also available in bulk at health food stores. The book /Prescription for Nutritional Healing/ by James F. Balch, MD, and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C, (Avery, 1990) says that the entire plant except the root has medicinal properties, and it contains (quantities not given): bitters inositol volatile oils PABA sulfur tannins Vitamins: A B3 B5 B12 C D E As for actions and uses of eyebright, it says "Used as eyewash. Prevents secretion of fluids and relieves discomfort from eyestrain or minor irritation. Good for all eye disorders." Don't ask me how the B12, which is only supposed to be in animal and protozoan products, got into eyebright. According to /The Herb Book/ by John Lust, eyebright is both an astringent and a tonic. I've never heard of a clinical study being done with eyebright. --Alex (not a licensed herbalist) =========================================================================