Age-related macular degeneration, with the average onslaught age beginning in the early forties, is one of the four leading causes of vision loss in America. The other three are glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. However, until recently AMD left its victims no hope in regaining lost vision.

The disease affects the macula, or the sweet spot, at the center of the retina. These light sensitive cells are critical to reading, driving, and recognizing faces. The early 'dry' form is the more common condition of this disease, affecting 80% of all age-related macular degeneration sufferers.

The less common or 'wet' form develops when new blood vessels sprout behind the macula, resulting in bleeding and leaking distorting its shape. The wet form responds somewhat well to a new drug therapy. The drug used is called 'Lucentis', it inhibits protein, reducing the destructive new blood vessels from growing. The drug is given by injections and may be needed indefinitely,does not work for everyone, and common of all drugs, carries certain risks.

In the meantime, the outlook is less exciting for those with the more common 'dry' form of AMD. The only thing on offer here is nutritional therapy. Nutritional therapy can be started in the early stages of AMD and will also help prevent the development of the less common, but more serious advanced 'wet' form of this eye affliction.

Conclusive risk factors associated with developing AMD are:

1.tobacco smoking

2.elevated blood glucose levels, (as observed in

obesity and diabetes)

3.high blood pressure

4.low physical activity

5.a high dietary intake of refined sugar

Nutrient therapy thus far is the only technique that shows any real promise. This science has not been fully completed yet, but ongoing studies being conducted throughout North America and other western nations are continuing to draw their conclusions. There seems to be a lot of hope being placed on the many different natural nutrients that serve a positive role in maintaining or restoring healthy normal eyesight.

Nutrients that are found in fresh raw produce and other natural food sources that are thought to be beneficial in healthy eye vision include:

1.antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E

2.phytonutrients like lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene to name a small few, and many others yet to be identified

3.omega-3 essential fatty acid found in cold water fish

4.adequate daily and consistent fluid intake ( mostly pure water)

The over consumption of omega-6 essential fatty acids found in vegetable oils is associated with an inflammatory internal reaction within the body and increases the risk of developing AMD.

Saving one's eyesight the nutritional way seems to fall into alignment with many other physical health maladies, that seem to affect or are interconnected to one another. Unlike drugs or laser eye treatments, whole food nutrition will not have a speedy effect in restoring vision. When you opt out to building up a natural protective strategy such as this, you simply must expect to have to wait. Realistically, it will take on average 3 to 4 months for body cells to turn around and improve naturally.

Do not overlook one important step in curing your early or progressive stages of AMD. In taking the full responsibility that is necessary for this winning outcome to occur, you must absolutely be committed to drinking your body's daily requirement of fluids in pure water. With this increased water consumption, the need for pure unrefined salt is also necessary. Be sure to include these two important body nutrients.

As fresh raw fruits and vegetables are some very amazing vision promoting tools, they also are largely made up of water, they are perfect selections for in between meal snacks. Perfect choices in producing a 180 degree turn around of one's eyesight.

Learn to love them and your body will reflect it back in response. You certainly can eat and drink your way back to better eye vision naturally. Ready to let those pesky reading glasses go, expensive laser eye treatments, how about evasive drug treatments? If you are the patient type, eating is believing!