Preface Laura''s Story My first experience with age-related macular degeneration occurred when my mother struggled with the disorder. Although she never complained and tried to pretend that she wasn''t losing her sight, it eventually became apparent that she was. Once, my family and I were visiting her and my father, and we planned to watch a televised horse race together. Before she joined us in the living room, we watched the end of a TV medical drama. When my mother walked into the room, she stared at the four doctors in white uniforms on the screen and said, "Oh, there are the horses!" It was then we realized the severity of her vision issues. When she couldn''t read menus in restaurants, she just ordered whatever my father ordered. AMD was greatly affecting her life. Years later, I began to regularly visit a lady in a nursing home as part of my church''s outreach ministry.

When I first met the lady, I asked her how she was, and she grimly replied, "I sit, I eat, I sleep!" My friend had advanced AMD and could see only my shoes and socks with any clarity. She was in the nursing facility because her impaired vision prevented her from caring for herself, and now, because of her disability, she could not participate in most of the facility''s activities. For both my mother and my friend, AMD was a game changer. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with AMD by an ophthalmologist in Lafayette, Indiana. He said that other than taking the AREDS2 formula--the over-the-counter vitamin supplement carried in all drugstores--I should use UV- and blue light-resistant sunglasses outdoors and follow a "nutritious diet," which he did not explain further. There was nothing else I could do. I''m a fighter, and I couldn''t sit around and wait for my vision to decline as I had watched my mother''s and friend''s vision worsen over time. Instead, I saw an expert, an internationally known ophthalmologist in Indianapolis.

He diagnosed "familial drusen" in my left eye--the right eye was not affected--and said that the condition might not progress at all. However, a year later, I noticed that my vision was worsening and I went to see him again. This time, he diagnosed AMD in both eyes. Although he worked part-time for a pharmaceutical company, where he hoped to develop treatments for AMD, he was very discouraging about the available options. All I could do was take AREDS, eat a nutritious diet, and wear sunglasses--which I was already doing. I asked about other nutrients and any future drugs in the pipeline. He said, "No other nutrients have been found to be helpful. There are no promising drugs on the immediate horizon.

I''m sorry!" Needless to say, I was scared. I was not, however, ready to accept an inevitable decline in function. In the middle 1990s, I had received my master''s degree in Nutrition Science from Purdue University, and since that time, I had worked as a research associate there. I knew how to search medical literature, and because of my education in biochemistry and nutrition, I could read and understand the articles I found. So I turned my attention to learning if any nutrients other than those used in the AREDS study showed promise. Surprisingly, I found quite a few studies in which additional nutrients had not only slowed the development of AMD, but actually improved vision. I was excited! At about the same time, my doctor in New York City, whom I had seen since 1986 for chronic fatigue syndrome, urged me to consult an herbalist. Soon, I began to learn more about herbal supplements for both my fatigue and my vision.

We started to try various preparations, and I was thrilled when the vision in my left eye began to function better. I bought an eye chart so that I could track my vision and note improvements or setbacks. Every day, I also checked my Amsler Grid (see page 23) as instructed by my doctor. Maybe the scientist in me led me to document my progress. I was hoping that my regimen of supplements would at least allow me to maintain my vision, but it did even more. When I started, I could read the top two lines of the eye chart with my left eye wearing my glasses. Over a period of several months, I began to read more and more letters. I was so excited by the articles I had read and my own personal experience that I decided to write this book.

I wanted others to know that there are many things they can do to save their vision. I hope that the lifestyle changes I share in these pages--including my supplement regimen and the Anti-AMD Diet--will help my readers just as they have helped me. Jeff''s Story As a third-year optometry school student in the 1970s, I recall sitting in a class on eye disease. This particular class dealt with the retina and its problems, and the current topic was "drusen," which we see as yellowish-white spots scattered around the retina. The professor''s comment was that these were "thickening of the membrane behind the retina." He also concluded that they were common in older patients and that there was no harm in seeing them occasionally. Fast-forward a few years to my time in the Navy. When examining retired military personnel, I saw patients lose vision associated with the development of drusen in the center of the retina.

While we knew about "age-related macular degeneration," we had no idea about the development or course of the disease. All we knew is that it was more common as people aged and it resulted in functional blindness. Following my Navy service, I started a practice in a holistic healing center near San Diego. It was there that I was exposed to the fields of chiropractic, acupuncture, colonic hydrotherapy, meditation, massage, and a number of other alternative medical therapies. The one thing that all of these practitioners had in common was their inclusion of nutrition as part of treatment. They all valued nutrition--everyone except me, that is. I felt that I had received a well-rounded education in optometry school--mine was considered one of the oldest and best schools in the country--but there had been no mention of nutrition at any level. Thus, influenced by other practitioners, I began an independent study of nutrition and eye health.

In the beginning, I would tell people that I emphasized nutrition for vision, and their response was, "What, just eat carrots, right?" Apparently, I had a lot of work to do to educate the public about the importance of a good diet. Unfortunately, at that time, there had not been much research into eye nutrition. People did not realize that the eyes are an integral part of the body--especially, the brain. My work centered on the connection of nutrition to basic human physiology. In other words, if something was good for a particular body function, it was likely good for the eyes, as well. While I tried to convey these concepts to local practitioners and my patients, there was still no national exposure to these concepts. That changed in 2001, when a study from the National Eye Institute showed that a few nutrients (specifically, antioxidants and zinc) slowed the progression of macular degeneration. This began the public''s acceptance of nutrition as a potential treatment for eye disorders.

At the time, I became acquainted with the CEO of an eye supplement company, who dedicated her life to teaching eye-care professionals about various eye conditions and how they could be resolved through nutritional means. I soon realized that although the treatment of eye disorders through supplements was important, eye-care professionals were now receiving information that was filtered through supplement manufacturers and was typically skewed to support their particular products. I discussed this concern with a few colleagues, and we decided to form the Ocular Nutrition Society (ONS). The mission of the ONS was to provide leadership, education, advice, and guidance to eye-care and other health care professionals and consumers regarding the role of nutritional support in vision and eye health. The ONS supported evidence-based analysis concerning nutritional influences on eyes and systemic disease. For six years, I devoted my time to the ONS and saw the eye-care field--including both ophthalmology and, to a larger degree, optometry--begin to learn about the use of nutrition and nutritional supplements to support both eye health and general well-being. I then decided to get back to my roots as a practitioner. Relocating my practice to my home town, I directed my energy toward treating patients on a personal level.

My focus remains on nutrition, and I have been rewarded by seeing the difference I can make in the lives (and eyesight) of my patients. It is my hope that my coauthor, Laura Stevens, and I can offer our readers insight, guidance, and encouragement as they work to maintain their eyesight through proven dietary and lifestyle modifications.