Thomas Goslin had the classic symptoms of glaucoma: a steady buildup of fluid in the eyeballs, creating excessive pressure and some loss of peripheral vision. At his ophthalmologist’s instruction, Goslin, a retired Presbyterian minister from Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, reluctantly began using prescription eyedrops, one of the most common treatments. He was reluctant because he has a history of allergic reaction to medication, and sure enough, by the end of the first day of using the drops, he was ready to try just about anything else.
That’s when he was referred to Ben C. Lane, O.D., director of the Nutritional Optometry Institute in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey. Dr. Lane had done research on nutrition and eye diseases at Columbia University in New York City before founding the institute.
“Dr. Lane told me that over the years, he had been successful in treating normal glaucoma based primarily on nutrition and diet, so I thought I’d give it a try,” says Goslin. After doing a thorough eye exam and nutritional analysis, including a blood test and diet history, Dr. Lane made some specific recommendations for Goslin that included taking supplements of vitamin C and the mineral chromium.
It was a year before Goslin saw measurable improvement, but since then he has even regained the peripheral vision that he thought had been lost forever. “The proof is in the pudding,” he says. “I would certainly attribute my improvement to Dr. Lane and his recommendations.”
Goslin says he took oral chromium supplements until Dr. Lane discovered that his body wasn’t absorbing them properly because of interference from other nutrients that were taken at the same time. He now takes two drops of aqueous chromium every day, under the tongue, either 30 minutes before a meal or more than three hours after a meal but not at the same time as vitamin C.
| Food Factors Try these tips to help knock out glaucoma. Veer away from vanadium. Vanadium is a commonly occurring trace mineral that can deplete your body of chromium. And chromium is important in normalizing the pressure inside your eyeballs. Vanadium is found in kelp, dulse and other kinds of seaweed as well as in shark, swordfish, tuna, commercially raised chicken and turkey (they're often fed a seafood-based meal), vinegar, mushrooms, pickles, Cut the sugar. Chromium stores that could be used to keep the pressure inside your eyeballs stable are diverted to handle added sugar in the diet, says Ben C. Lane, O.D., director of the Nutritional Optometry Institute in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey. |
The Diet Connection
To fight glaucoma, which can cause blindness in its advanced stage, most ophthalmologists prescribe eyedrops or use surgery to relieve pressure inside the eyeballs.
Prescription eyedrops and surgery may be necessary in some glaucoma cases, Dr. Lane says, but nutritional evidence suggests that many people can experience some improvement through measures as simple as changing what they eat.
“It’s not going to help everyone,” he says. “But if they get the right nutrients over a period of a few years, many people with glaucoma are able to be weaned off medication or to use much less medication.”
Taking a Shine to Chromium
Aside from making sure that your reading prescription is up-to-date, one of the best ways to lower pressure inside the eyeballs is with a mineral called chromium, says Dr. Lane.
In a study done at Columbia University, Dr. Lane asked more than 400 people with eye disease to detail the foods they had eaten during the previous two months. Then they took tests to measure the vitamin and mineral content of their blood. Among the findings: Those people who didn’t get enough chromium and who ate too many vanadium-containing foods were at higher risk for glaucoma. (Vanadium is another common mineral that occurs naturally in many foods, including kelp, dulse and other seaweed as well as large marine fish.)
“What set of muscles do we use more today than ever before in recorded history? The focusing muscles in our eyes,” says Dr. Lane. “And what nutrient helps facilitate the ability of our eye muscles to focus? The bottom line is that most of us need more chromium, especially if we have been eating refined and sugar-supplemented foods.” Adequate chromium levels are necessary to help deliver needed energy to your eye-focusing muscles, he says.
And what’s the connection between eye muscles and glaucoma? When you perform tasks that require prolonged intense focus, such as reading, too much fluid can be produced inside the eyeballs, Dr. Lane explains. In some people, he says, the fluid doesn’t drain properly and pressure builds, contributing to glaucoma.
People who suffer from Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes seem more likely to develop glaucoma, says Dr. Lane. And that’s not surprising, he says, because both people with diabetes and those with glaucoma have been found to be low in chromium.
The best sources of chromium include egg yolks, brewer’s yeast and most unrefined foods rich in energy content. Consequently, ripe fresh sweet and starchy fruits and vegetables also contain more than adequate chromium, says Dr. Lane.
The Daily Value for chromium is 120 micrograms.
If you want to try chromium supplementation, discuss it with your doctor. This is especially important if you have diabetes, since chromium may cause your blood sugar level to drop and reduce your need for insulin. Your doctor should monitor your insulin level carefully while you’re taking supplements.
Dr. Lane also notes that many people make the mistake of taking chromium at the same time that they take vitamin C. Vitamin C interferes with the uptake of chromium.
| Prescriptions for Healing It's important to be under a doctor's care if you have glaucoma. Uncontrolled, the disease can lead to blindness. Doctors generally prescribe medication in the form of eyedrops to treat glaucoma. If you'd like to try supplements as an adjunct to your treatment, discuss it with your ophthalmologist. Some doctors recommend these nutrients to help treat glaucoma. Nutrient Daily Amount
Chromium 120 micrograms Vitamin C 750-1,500 milligrams, taken as 2 divided doses
MEDICAL ALERT: Nutritional therapy for glaucoma is not commonly practiced, nor is it for everyone. It is important to remain under a doctor's care if you have glaucoma and to continue using whatever medication your doctor prescribes. If you want to try chromium supplements, discuss it with your doctor. This is especially important if you have diabetes, since chromium may affect your blood sugar level. Also, many people make the mistake of taking chromium at the same time that they take vitamin C. Vitamin C interferes with the uptake of chromium. Taking more than 1,200 milligrams of vitamin C daily can cause diarrhea in some people. |
Vitamin C Lets Up on Pressure
Like chromium, vitamin C also seems to reduce intraocular pressure, but by a different method. Studies show that it apparently raises the acidity of the blood, explains Dr. Lane. “That in and of itself seems to help normalize intraocular pressure,” he says. (Intraocular pressure is the pressure inside the eyeballs. In people with glaucoma, the pressure is too high, which hinders the blood supply to the eye.)
Vitamin C delivers yet another benefit for your eyes. It increases the efficiency of fuel utilization by the eye muscles, says Dr. Lane. Between 750 and 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C daily seems to work best. Any more than that increases the risk that the jellylike substance in your eye may gradually become more liquefied, causing it to be pulled away from the retina and related structures at the back of the eye, says Dr. Lane. (The retina contains a light-sensitive layer of cells that receives images.) Taking more than 1,200 milligrams of vitamin C daily, however, can cause diarrhea in some people.
Take part of your vitamin C with juice before breakfast in the morning, then allow at least one meal to go by before taking the rest, advises Dr. Lane. Vitamin C has a tendency to block the absorption of other nutrients such as copper and chromium, he says.
Nutritional therapy for glaucoma is not commonly practiced, nor is it for everyone. It is important to remain under a doctor’s care if you have glaucoma and to continue using whatever medication your doctor prescribes. But do discuss your concerns with your doctor.
