Like many of our Optimum Health Vitamins formulations our Opti-I See was designed after years of experience, and watching what works to produce an effective supplement for eye health. The 13 synergistic ingredients in Opti-I See were chosen to address an array of common visual challenges, and the physical functions that underlie them.
Opti- I See - helps to Preserve and Support Visual Function.
One of the most common reasons for vision loss is age-related macular degeneration or AMD, which involves progressive dysfunction/death of the cells of the macula. The macula is a pigmented / coloured, oval-shaped portion near the center of the retina at the back of the eye, which specifically concentrates the orange-yellow carotenoid pigments known as Lutein and Zeaxanthin. (1,2) These pigments act as critical antioxidants to protect the retina's nerve receptors, (i.e. photoreceptors), from the oxidative stress generated by their energy-intensive jobs.(1-3) In this way lutein and zeaxanthin are highly protective against the macular degeneration so prevalent as visual function ages.(1,4)
The photoreceptor cells of the retina receive light, and pass it on to be organized, then put through the optic nerve to form images in the brain. As such, the eye and its nerves are an extension of the brain, and lutein and zeaxanthin have also recently been found to play roles in brain health. (5-8)
As its source of lutein and zeaxanthin Opti-I See uses trademarked FloraGLO™ Lutein.
FloraGLO™ has been the subject of over 70 human clinical trials, (including being used in the famous AREDS2, Age-Related Eye Disease Study). The lutein and zeaxanthin in FloraGLO is sourced from marigold flowers, and is an industry benchmark for safety and efficacy.(9)
In addition to lutein and zeaxanthin, Opti-I See also contains standardized bilberry extract rich in highly eye-supportive molecules called anthocyanins. Whereas light-receiving nerve cells called cones, responsible for our colour perception and central daytime vision are concentrated in the macula, further out from the center are the rods. The rods sense only black and white, and are responsible for visual perception in low light, i.e. night vision. Among a host of other eye health benefits, bilberry has long-been considered valuable for improving night vision. It was used in WWII by British pilots for this purpose, and according to the University of Maryland Medical Centre:
"Bilberry has also exhibited protective effects against macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts". (10)
Recent research has also demonstrated bilberry's utility against retinal inflammation. (11-13)
Bilberry's vision health promoting properties are attributed to its anthocyanin content. In general, studies back a wide spectrum of benefits for eye health from berry anthocyanins including being highly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, supporting better circulation...especially microcirculation in the tiny capillaries of delicate tissues like the eyes and brain... as well as protection from diabetes and its associated vision complications. (14)
To broaden and fortify these benefits, Opti-I See provides OptiBerry®... concentrated berry extracts rich in anthocyanins from wild blueberries, bilberries, cranberry, elderberry, raspberry seeds, and strawberries. OptiBerry® was chosen because it provides a standardized reliable source of anthocyanins, the extensive benefits of which are summarized in the referenced review article as:
"... antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, antiproliferative, anti-mutagenic, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic, protection from cardiovascular damage and allergy, microcirculation improvement, peripheral capillary fragility prevention, diabetes prevention, and vision improvement" (15)
OPCs from Grape Seed Extract in the Opti-I See formula act to further strengthen these attributes, providing additional support against retinopathies, and to enhance blood vessel integrity. (16)
Of course, inflammation plays numerous, pivotal roles in visual disturbances. For example as a result of immune activation, allergic reactions, oxidative stress, or poor circulation all of which cause inflammation, low-oxygen levels and energy deficits. (17-20)
Turmeric and Rosemary are included in Opti-I See to bolster the anti-inflammatory benefits, as are quercetin, eyebright and grape seed extract, which help attenuate allergic responses, (i.e. that simply lead back to inflammation.) (21-23)
If you feel allergies are weighing down your vision, you may want to refer to our previous article: Natural Relief from Seasonal Allergies: Our Experience of What Works.
Deficiencies in ocular blood flow have also recently been considered as a contributing factor for glaucoma, as well as diabetic retinopathy. (24, 25) And perhaps not surprisingly there is evidence that it is actually inflammation that creates the dysfunctions in blood flow by interfering with the inner linings of the arteries. (26)
As mentioned, the ingredients of the Opti-I See formula were chosen to help support blood flow and to be anti-inflammatory in diverse ways.
With the addition of Alpha-Lipoic Acid and N-Acetyl-Cysteine, Opti-I See is also designed to support glutathione levels so critical to eye-function. (27)
Glutathione and its associated family of super enzymes not only provide dramatic and generalized antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and energy-producing, (i.e. mitochondrial) benefits, but also support the detoxification function of the eye. (28)
Failure to clear metabolic wastes and toxins from the eye contributes to the build up of "garbage sites" known as "drusen". Of course the above mentioned oxidation, inflammation, and poor circulation all contribute to drusen. Conversely, what do you think the build-up of garbage creates? You guessed it a vicious cycle, i.e. more of all three problems. (29,30)
Another eye benefit of raising glutathione is prevention of cataracts, and NAC as a direct glutathione precursor has also shown promise in this regard. (31,32)
And mentioned last, but in no way least, L-Carnosine was added to the Opti-I See formula as an extremely potent antioxidant which has demonstrated utility in preventing and even reversing cataracts. (33)
View all 13 ingredients of the Opti-I See formula.
Losing your vision is certainly one of the most disconcerting difficulties people face. In decades of consulting people I have found that even when people face more dire, sometimes life-threatening circumstances, if someone's sight is failing, addressing it is a top priority as sight is so crucial to independence. And as you can see, Opti-I See has been designed to address as many relevant issues concerning eye challenges as we could fit into one capsule, (though two or more capsules a day are recommended, and should be taken with oil or fat.)
Until next time, continue to be well!
John
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021198/ ...prevention of AMD
- https://www.csmd.ucsb.edu/biology/biology.html ..overall navy blue article
- http://www.pnas.org/content/107/19/8599.full ...mitochondria in the eye
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3708350/ ...The role of Lutein in Eye-Related disease
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/div-classtitlerelationship-of-lutein-and-zeaxanthin-levels-to-neurocognitive-functioning-an-fmri-study-of-older-adultsdiv/128FA33729CB102A1DC5ACAAFF7D972D
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638416/ ...lutein & brain functtion
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25109868
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176961/
- http://storefronts.supplysideshow.com/~/media/Files/Storefronts/supplyside/resources/201607/2222-KeminFloraGLOWhitepaper.pdf
- https://umm.edu/Health/Medical-Reference-Guide/Complementary-and-Alternative-Medicine-Guide/Herb/Bilberry
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21894150
- file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/molecules-20-19785.pdf
- http://altmedrev.com/publications/5/2/164.pdf
- http://apjcn.org/update/pdf/2007/2/200-208/200.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17468073
15.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17468073 http://apjcn.org/update/pdf/2007/2/200-208/200.pdf
- http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/8/4/442.pdf Alternative Medicine Review: Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPC's): Monograph Number 4, 2003. Thorne Research. pp. 442-450
17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062327/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3404137/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941009/
- https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/nei-pdfs/Perez_Caspi_Trends_Immunol.pdf
- file:///Users/johnbiggs/Downloads/molecules-21-00623.pdf ..quercetin anti allergy
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chithan_Kandaswami/publication/7255073_The_Flavonoid_Quercetin_Inhibits_Proinflammatory_Cytokine_Tumor_Necrosis_Factor_Alpha_Gene_Expression_in_Normal_Peripheral_Blood_Mononuclear_Cells_via_Modulation_of_the_NF-_System/links/00b495224fa62104b4000000/The-Flavonoid-Quercetin-Inhibits-Proinflammatory-Cytokine-Tumor-Necrosis-Factor-Alpha-Gene-Expression-in-Normal-Peripheral-Blood-Mononuclear-Cells-via-Modulation-of-the-NF-System.pdf
- http://www.herballegacy.com/Hartzog_Medicinal.html
- http://www.mediniche.com/ocularbloodflow.html
25. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/joph/2015/864871/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4062327/
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/2011/905153/ ... GPX in many parts of the eye
- Bartlett JD, Clinical Ocular Pharmacology, Oct 22, 2013, page11.
https://books.google.ca/books?id=kA8lBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=glutathione+content+of+aqueous+vitreous+humour&source=bl&ots=f_lhE1il0H&sig=TXzJUYdYlUcumhgk5TJr1ZAY5XA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1yqTzz6vSAhUM2mMKHfTmBwoQ6AEISDAH#v=onepage&q=glutathione%20content%20of%20aqueous%20vitreous%20humour&f=false
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3830684/
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167488914003401
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10803424/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9715438/
- http://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2010-04/l-carnosines-effects-cataract-development
Disclaimer: The above information is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your physician.
