Myths:

Blindness is a common result of diabetes.

Facts:

Only 6 percent of diabetics lose their vision. Blindness is largely preventable if patient and the medical team work together diligently. This includes proper use of medications, daily blood sugar testing, correct lifestyle habits, diet and supplementation.

Overview:

Diabetic retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of diabetes that damages the eye's retina. It affects half of all Americans diagnosed with diabetes.

At first, you may notice no change in your vision. But don't let diabetic retinopathy fool you. It could get worse over the years and threaten your good vision. With timely treatment, 90 percent of those with advanced diabetic retinopathy can be saved from going blind.

Symptoms:

• Blurred vision
• Excessive urination
• Excessive thirst and hunger
• Fatigue, itching, and skin infections

Causes:

• Type I Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) develops when the body produces too little insulin. This condition generally starts in childhood.
• Type II Diabetes (Adult-Onset Diabetes) develop over many years, and is caused by the body either not producing enough insulin or not being able to utilize the insulin produced effectively.

Conventional Treatment:

There are two treatments for diabetic retinopathy:

1) Laser Surgery is used to treat macula edema and proliferative retinopathy (advanced diabetic retinopathy). One type of laser treatment is “focal laser treatment? which seals the leaking vessels. Generally, laser surgery is used to stabilize vision, not necessarily to improve it.

The second type of laser surgery is “scatter laser treatment? used for proliferative retinopathy. This treatment shrinks the abnormal blood vessels. Often this can result in side vision loss.

2) Vitrectomy is an eye operation performed if you have a lot of blood in the vitreous (back of the eye). It involves removing the cloudy vitreous and replacing it with a salt solution. Early vitrectomy is especially effective in people with insulin-dependent diabetes, who may be at a greater risk of blindness from a hemorrhage into the eye.

Complementary Treatment:

We recommend the following protocol to treat diabetic retinopathy. Where possible, we use products that can be taken in liquid form for best absorption.

The recommendations are given in order of priority, and are listed as Essential, Very Important, Important and Helpful.

If you are not sure which nutrients you need, we offer free consultations either by e-mail or by telephone (845-255-8222).

Essential: GlycoEase, a sublingual formula of drops. Contains Gymnema Sylvestra, Vanadyl Sulfate, Chromium Polynicotinate and Niacin B3. Cost to you is $24 bottle (1 month supply). 8 drops under the tongue 3-5 times per day, or as recommended by your healthcare professional. Swish around in mouth for 2 minutes then swallow.
Essential: Macula Complete Eye Multivitamin this formula is an excellent eye multivitamin foundation formula recommended for those with any retinal conditions.
Each bottle contains 180 capsules. Cost $60 per bottle ($58 on automatic delivery). Recommended dosage is 8 capsules per day taken with meals.
Essential: Pure Focus offered through Nutritional Focus, is in liquid form and contains lutein, zeaxanthin, vinpocetine and small levels of vitamin E to support absorption. Lutein and zeaxanthin filter light, and serve as potent free radical scavengers for the retina. Vinpocetine improves the utilization of glucose and oxygen in the brain and retina. Cost to patient is $28 per month for the first 2 months ($24 per month on automatic delivery). Recommended dosage is 1 pump 5 times per day under the tongue for the first two months, then 1 pump 3 times per day under the tongue thereafter.
Essential: Carlson's Fine Fish Oil is in liquid form. One bottle contains 6.7 fluid ounces, and 1 teaspoon contains 1600 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids (800 mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA), plus 14 mg of antioxidants to preserve freshness. Omega-3 fatty acids help improve circulation, integrity of blood vessels, proper brain functioning, flexibility and permeability of cell membranes, and helps protect the retina's photoreceptor cells. Recommended dosage is 2-3 teaspoonfuls per day. Cost is $20 per bottle ($18 on automatic delivery).
Essential: Alpha R-Lipoic Acid is the only antioxidant that is both fat- and water-soluble. Alpha Lipoic acid is used by the body as one of the precursors to Glutathione production, and is used in Europe to help treat peripheral neuropathy related to diabetes. It also has been found to reduce diabetic cataract formation, and enhances the action of vitamins E and C. Alpha lipoic acid consists of two different forms (isomers) that have vastly different properties. The “R?form is the biologically active component (native to the body) that is responsible for lipoic acid’s phenomenal antioxidant effect. Each bottle contains 50mg 60 vcapsulesRecommended dosage 2 capsules a day. Cost is $24 per bottle ($22 on automatic delivery).
Other Helpful Nutrients Below:

Important: Microcurrent Stimulation Home Unit (MicroStim or MCS): is a therapy that has been helping people with retinal bleeding disorders stabilize their condition and preserve vision (click on above for summary of studies and pricing options). Recommended usage is one 5-minute cycle four times per day.

Important: Gingko Biloba Liquid Extract manufactured by Gaia Herbs is in liquid form, and taken by dropper. According to a double blind study (see Research section for more details), Gingko Biloba has been shown to help improve diabetic retinopathy. Cost is $26 per bottle ($24 on automatic delivery).
Helpful: PaleoGreens Formula is excellent Green formula with a full array of organic vegetables, organic fruits and wheatgrasses. Cost is $42 per bottle ($40 per bottle on automatic delivery)

Precaution: Consult with your physician before using the above protocol. Use of DiabetEze can have a significant effect on your need for insulin. If on the protocol, be sure you monitor your blood sugar level daily, and adjust medication accordingly.

Self Help:

Since we consider most eye conditions to be a reflection of the health of the whole body, lifestyle choices and diet can play a major factor in getting and maintaining good vision. Below are some recommendations:

• Vision Diet recommended in Natural Eye Care, co-authored by Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac., helps maintain a healthy lens that easily drains away metabolic wastes and toxins from eye tissues.
• Daily juicing of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic). Our diabetes recipe is some combination of the following: ginger, garlic, asparagus, leeks, spinach, jerusalem artichokes, parsley, pumpkin, beets, celery, cabbage, carrots, chlorophyll, raspberries (not too much fruit). For more information, go to "Click Here".
• Drink 6-8 glasses of purified water daily.
• Eat cold water fish (including mackerel, salmon, sardines) two to three times a week.
• Increase fiber in your diet, and eat meals slowly.
• Reduce or eliminate refined sugars, drinking caffeine and sodas, avoid aspartame (labeled diet foods)and man made fats (corn oil and safflower oil, trans fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils including canola oil).
• Eliminate deep fat fried foods, monosodium glutanate (MSG) used as a flavor enhancer which is a potential retinal toxin (Inv Oph 1996; 37: 1618-24), and fat blockers like Olestra which impair the absorption of carotenoids (Argus, August 1996;19:18:July 1996;19:22).
• Limit your alcohol consumption to 1 glass of red wine at night. Alcohol interferes with liver functions, reducing protective glutathione levels (Alcohol 1993;10;469-75).
• Eliminate smoking. Smoking among other things produces cyanide, a retinal toxin.
• Avoid cortisone which elevates blood sugar.
• Take digestive aids (natural form) if needed to improve digestion.
• Limit the amount of medications (both prescription and non-prescription as much as possible. Make sure to work closely with your doctor.
• Exercise daily - do at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Walking and swimming are two excellent forms of exercise.
• Managing your stress is very important in maintaining physical health. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi, walks in nature, or prayer on a daily basis.