5 Natural Remedies to Stop Macular Degeneration
One of the most common visual problems is macular degeneration.
The macula is a tissue that forms part of the retina and makes your vision clear and detailed. When the macula deteriorates, your vision can become blurry and this is a natural process that’s part of aging.
However, you can always take steps to prevent this problem.
Have a look at the following natural remedies for stopping macular degeneration and include them regularly in your daily life.
1. Saffron
Saffron is one of the best natural remedies for stopping macular degeneration thanks to its antioxidants which oxygenate the body and prevent cell death.
Among its components ,we find Safranal. This natural chemical reduces the degeneration process of cells that receive light and improves the function of blood vessels in the eyes and retina.
Because of this, a cup of saffron tea each day can slow visual problems by protecting the vision cells.
Ingredients
- One cup of boiling water (250 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of saffron (5 g)
Preparation
- Mix the two ingredients well.
- Drink straight away.
The taste of this tea is bitter and strong, so to begin with, you may wish to start with less saffron or more water. If you like, you can add a little honey to attenuate the taste with changing the portions.
2. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are another natural remedy for stopping macular degeneration because they contain zinc and essential fatty acids. This two components turn out to be important in preventing vision problems.
Try to include pumpkin seeds in your bread recipes at home and in desserts. They’ll not just help combat macular degeneration, but also premature aging.
- They don’t contain many calories, so you can eat them every day.
- The recommended portion is 3 tablespoons (24 g) but try to choose ones which are free from salt and not fried. The best options are toasted or ground.
If you don’t feel like eating the seeds on their own and you want some flavour, try this recipe:
Ingredients
- A cup of dry pumpkin seeds (130 g)
- 1 teaspoon of salt (5 g)
- 1 teaspoon of pepper (5 g)
- A large clove of garlic
Preparation
- If the seeds have a skin, you can remove it if you wish.
- Put the seeds in a frying pan or non-stick pan.
- Begin the toast them and add the garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Cover but keep moving the ingredients to stop them sticking.
- After 5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat.
- Remove the garlic and let the seeds cool.
You can enjoy them right then or save them for another time. You will have quite a lot of seeds, so we recommend that you keep them in a plastic bag or in a contain with a lid to avoid them losing their flavour and texture.
3. Ginkgo biloba
The following natural remedy for stopping macular degeneration is a great oxygenating agent for the head and limbs.
Among its main properties, it’s known to be a:
- Peripheral vasodilator
- Venous vasoconstrictive
- Neuroprotector
- Diuretic
All of this means that it encourages the increased blood circulation in the eyes, and in particular in the optic nerve, because it contains flavonoids.
In a study, a group of volunteers suffering from macular degeneration took 60 mg of ginkgo biloba. Another group took a higher dose of 240 mg, daily. The second group reported an improvement in sight.
To take advantages of the benefits you can prepare an infusion of ginkgo biloba each day or consume supplements in pill form.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of boiling water (250 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of ginkgo biloba in small pieces or powder (5 g)
Preparation
- Mix the two ingredients.
- Leave it to act for a few minutes. Pour it in a cup and drink.
4. Spinach
Spinach is another natural remedy for stopping macular degeneration. It contains the necessary nutrients to prevent eye problems caused by oxidative stress.
The nutrients include:
- Vitamins A, B and K
- Minerals (iron, calcium, phosphor)
- Beta-carotenes
- Antoxidents
- Coenzyme Q10
- Chlorophyll
- Polyphenols
- Omega 3 fatty acids
It’s good to consume raw spinach in salads or juices to absorb its nutritional components fully. We recommend you consume at least one cup of spinach (30 g) three times a week.
5. Egg yolk
Regularly consuming egg yolks is another natural way to stop macular degeneration.
This is because the yolk is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two components which help to absorb short wave light in the retina, which protects the eyes.
Lutein helps to slow the occurrence of damage to the macula and prevent sun damage.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains that eating two eggs per day is probably all you need to maximise your levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in the blood.
- Just bear in mind that when cooking eggs, you have to use the least amount of oil or grease possible. A good choice is to have it as part of your breakfast.
Well? Do you agree that preventing macular degeneration is easy? Now you just need to include these ingredients in your diet!
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Clínica Baviera. [Internet]. Beneficios de la flor de calabaza para la vista. 2017. Disponible en: https://www.clinicabaviera.com/blog/bye-bye-gafasestilo-de-vidabeneficios-de-la-flor-de-calabaza-para-la-vista/
- Evans, J.R. Ginkgo biloba extract for age-related macular degeneration. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013; 31(1)
- Goodrow, E.F., Wilson, T.A, Crocker Houde, S., Vishwanathan, R., Scollin, P.A., Handelman, G. & Nicolosi, R.J.Consumption of One Egg Per Day Increases Serum Lutein and Zeaxanthin Concentrations in Older Adults without Altering Serum Lipid and Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentrations. The Journal of Nutrition, 2006; 136 (10), pp. 2519–2524.
- Mácula-Retina. [Internet]. La administración de suplementos de azafrán mejora la agudeza visual. 2018. Disponible en: https://www.macula-retina.es/la-administracion-de-suplementos-de-azafran-mejora-la-agudeza-visual/
