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Medical Forum / General / Vision / July 2004Broccoli May Prevent Blindness
Broccoli May Prevent Blindness Contains Antioxidant That Protects Eye Cells From UV Damage By Jeanie Lerche Davis WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 July 13, 2004 -- To protect your eyesight, try broccoli. An antioxidant found in broccoli may be a powerful force in preventing blindness. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that sulforaphane, the naturally occurring antioxidant in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, protects the eye from damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet light. Cells in the eye's retina are extremely sensitive to damage caused by oxidants, especially those generated by light. While several processes within the eye help cut that damage, the eye gradually loses that capability as we age. This is believed to be the primary cause of age-related macular degeneration -- the leading cause of blindness, writes researcher Xiangqun Gao, a molecular scientist with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His report appears in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA. To combat this damage, a simple long-term strategy is important, Gao notes. That's where sulforaphane comes in. Previous studies from this group of researchers have shown that sulforaphane prevents tumor growth and kills stomach bacteria that lead to ulcers and stomach cancer. In one study, they showed that feeding broccoli sprouts to rats prevented high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. In their latest laboratory experiment, the Johns Hopkins researchers exposed human retina cells, which protect against oxidative stress and free radicals, to various doses of sulforaphane. Then they exposed cells to ultraviolet light -- similar to sunlight -- to produce oxidative damage. Sulforaphane protected eye cells from damage, reports Gao. In fact, the more sulforaphane exposure the cells got, the more protection they received. "Much evidence points to the central role of oxidative damage in chronic degenerative diseases of the eye," writes Gao. A diet high in broccoli and broccoli sprouts is a safe, long-term approach to preventing age-related macular degeneration and blindness, he says. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ SOURCE: Gao, X. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA, July 2004; vol 101: pp 10446-10451. Who loves ya. Tom  SignatureJesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com Man Is A Herbivore! http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking > Broccoli May Prevent Blindness Locially, how does this statement differ from: Broccoli May Cause Blindness? Bill >Subject: Re: Broccoli May Prevent Blindness >From: Repeating Rifle SalmonEgg@sbcglobal.net [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Bill Locially .. how does this word differ from .. logically .. It is all in how stupid the poster .. is .. Broccoli May Prevent Blindness Contains Antioxidant That Protects Eye Cells From UV Damage By Jeanie Lerche Davis WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 July 13, 2004 -- To protect your eyesight, try broccoli. An antioxidant found in broccoli may be a powerful force in preventing blindness. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that sulforaphane, the naturally occurring antioxidant in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, protects the eye from damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet light. Cells in the eye's retina are extremely sensitive to damage caused by oxidants, especially those generated by light. While several processes within the eye help cut that damage, the eye gradually loses that capability as we age. This is believed to be the primary cause of age-related macular degeneration -- the leading cause of blindness, writes researcher Xiangqun Gao, a molecular scientist with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His report appears in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA. To combat this damage, a simple long-term strategy is important, Gao notes. That's where sulforaphane comes in. Previous studies from this group of researchers have shown that sulforaphane prevents tumor growth and kills stomach bacteria that lead to ulcers and stomach cancer. In one study, they showed that feeding broccoli sprouts to rats prevented high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. In their latest laboratory experiment, the Johns Hopkins researchers exposed human retina cells, which protect against oxidative stress and free radicals, to various doses of sulforaphane. Then they exposed cells to ultraviolet light -- similar to sunlight -- to produce oxidative damage. Sulforaphane protected eye cells from damage, reports Gao. In fact, the more sulforaphane exposure the cells got, the more protection they received. "Much evidence points to the central role of oxidative damage in chronic degenerative diseases of the eye," writes Gao. A diet high in broccoli and broccoli sprouts is a safe, long-term approach to preventing age-related macular degeneration and blindness, he says. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ SOURCE: Gao, X. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA, July 2004; vol 101: pp 10446-10451. Who loves ya. Tom SignatureJesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com Man Is A Herbivore! http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking >> Locially, how does this statement differ from: >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Locially .. how does this word differ from .. logically .. Sorry about the misspell. So, what IS the logical distinction between the terms "may" and "may not"? Aren't the synonyms? Bill >Subject: Re: Broccoli May Prevent Blindness >From: Repeating Rifle SalmonEgg@sbcglobal.net [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Sorry about the misspell. So, what IS the logical distinction between the >terms "may" and "may not"? Aren't the synonyms? I suppose ... bias .. 'may' come into play .. BUT .. I suspect the researchers have 'weighed' .. using their .. intelligence .. the imperical evidence and .. decided .. the word .. may .. is MOST ... appropriate .. in this study ..? Who loves ya. Tom SignatureJesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com Man Is A Herbivore! http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking ironjustice@aol.comdoe (doe) wrote in message > DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking Hello, I have visited the webpage about inositol IP6, but, well, the doctor who has published the book has dreadful myopic glasses. I don't think he is very much intelligent. >Subject: Re: Broccoli May Prevent Blindness >From: g.gatti@agora.it (Rishi Giovanni Gatti) [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >I don't think he is very much intelligent. Seeing his .. race .. AND the .. prevalence OF .. thalassemia .. IN .. his .. race .. would lead one to believe / dedeuce .. erythrocytosis leads to .. myopia .. ? DUE .. to .. increased .. viscosity .. ? Transfus Sci. 1996 Dec;17(4):493-8. Related Articles, Links Clinical efficacy of haemorheological treatment using plasma exchange, selective adsorption and membrane differential filtration in maculopathy, retinal vein occlusion and uveal effusion syndrome. Brunner R, Widder RA, Fischer RA, Walter P, Bartz-Schmidt KU, Heimann K, Borberg H. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Germany. The aim of the study was to test the clinical efficacy of haemorheological treatment with extracorporeal techniques in ocular diseases. We treated patients suffering from maculopathies of different origin: age-related (AMD, n = 17), uveitis-associated (n = 14) and myopia-associated maculopathy (n = 5). We also treated patients with uveal effusion syndrome (n = 3) and central retinal vein occlusion (n = 4) resistant to haemodilution or steroid therapy. The treatment consisted of plasma exchange, selective adsorption with a tryptophan-polyvinylalcohol adsorber and membrane differential filtration. Maculopathy patients underwent two treatments while the other patients received between 1 and 7 treatments. Pulsatile ocular blood flow was measured in 10 patients before and after therapy. The main parameter for evaluating clinical outcome was the change in visual acuity. Severe side-effects did not occur. The rheological parameters including plasma viscosity, whole blood viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation were statistically significantly lowered. Of 36 patients suffering from maculopathy, 25 showed an improvement of at least 1 line of visual acuity after therapy, 7/17 patients in AMD, 6/14 in uveitis and 0/5 in myopia improved 3 lines or more. All patients suffering from retinal vein occlusion improved at least 1 line and two showed an improvement of 3 lines or more. In uveal effusion syndrome, an improvement of 3 lines or more was reached in all patients. Plasma exchange, selective adsorption and membrane differential filtration are effective rheological treatment approaches to improving visual acuity in patients suffering from maculopathy except myopia-associated maculopathy. Efficacy in patients suffering from central retinal vein occlusion and uveal effusion syndrome was proven, even when the patients were resistant to previous haemodilution or steroid therapy. We conclude that a rheological approach should be considered before invasive methods such as laser coagulation, radiation therapy or surgery are applied. PMID: 10168545 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Who loves ya. Tom SignatureJesus Was A Vegetarian! http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com Man Is A Herbivore! http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore DEAD PEOPLE WALKING http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking > Broccoli May Prevent Blindness > > Contains Antioxidant That Protects Eye Cells From UV Damage Hm.... Doesn't... broccoli... also... contain... (gasp)... iron? |
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