Vitamins and pressure

 I guess I am like a lot of people, I take vitamins in hopes of preventing desease and to feel better. I started taking lots of Leutin and 2 1000mg of bilberry each day since they are supposed to be eye vitamins. I told a friend about the bilberry and he said it made his eyes water and I noticed mine do too.  Has anyone who tests their own pressure ever taken these vitamins to see if they bring the pressure down? 

billym - thank you for this question. I love this question. I used to take more vitamins than probably any person on this planet. I have never met a person who took as many vitamins as I did. After I was diagnosed with glaucoma, I researched extensively and created what I thought was the absolute best, state of the art, second-to-none vitamin program for reducing my intraocular pressure (and helping my vision and optic nerve too). I did extensive intraocular pressure research on this vitamin program and many variants of it. After a lot of work (and a lot of money) I found that none of the supplements had any effect on my intraocular pressure.

My own conclusion is that vitamins are unlikely to reduce intraocular pressure in any meaningful manner. I know there is some (just a little) research out there that indicates certain vitamins might reduce eye pressure. I think the reality of that actually happening for most people is about nil. I haven't (yet) heard from anyone who had compelling data to support any benefit on eye pressure from taking vitamins.

In the process of all this research, I did find out how to reduce my own intraocular pressure. The secret is explained in several posts on my blog. Here is a good one: http://fiteyes.com/blogs/dave/2008/06/05/stress-and-eye-pressure-solving-the-equation.

I think people would be extremely pleased if they found a vitamin that would reduce intraocular pressure by 5 mmHg after a few months of use. In contrast to this, through techniques of consciousness (I use Serene Impulse) and managing my emotions, I can reduce my eye pressure by 5 mmHg in less than a minute.

Nothing - no vitamin, no drug, no exercise, no nothing -- affects intraocular pressure as quickly and as profoundly as our state of consciousness and our emotions. Master your consciousness and your emotions and you will have mastered your eye pressure.

Then follow a healthy lifestyle and eat well, and you have a chance of reversing any optic nerve damage (if you have any). The role of vitamins in this program is very small. Traditional herbal compounds may play a slightly more important role. But the mind and emotions are king when it comes to intraocular pressure.

 what about coleus.  foskolin eye drops.  there is some research on those, at pubmed.gov, but have not read it yet.  supposed to lower iop. and oral foskolin supplements. 

 OK, I found this article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeaxanthin

Part of the article says

On September 10, 2007, in a 6-year study, researchers, led by John Paul SanGiovanni of the National Eye Institute, Maryland found that Lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients in eggs, spinach and other green vegetables) protect against blindness (macular degeneration), affecting 1.2 million Americans, mostly after age 65. Lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of AMD (journal Archives of Ophthalmology). Foods considered good sources of the nutrients also include kale, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, corn, garden peas and Brussels sprouts.^[1]

I see turnip greens on the list and I love turnip greens.
Another article http://www.mdsupport.org/library/lutzean.html

Dave, have you ever eaten the foods above or your recipe and then tested your IOP? What were the results?

nancy wolfe:

 what about coleus.  foskolin eye drops.  there is some research on those, at pubmed.gov, but have not read it yet.  supposed to lower iop. and oral foskolin supplements. 

If any herb were going to lower IOP, I think it would be this one. You are right to consider it. I worked extensively with coleus herbal compounds and extracts because the research sounds so promising. It did not reduce my IOP at all.

However, a drug made from it is supposed to be coming to market soon. See these articles:

Ancient Ayurvedic Herb Lowers Intraocular Pressure by Reducing Aqueous Inflow

Ocufors Approved - Marks a First For Glaucoma

Ocufors - Is it Ayurvedic?

billym:

Dave, have you ever eaten the foods above or your recipe and then tested your IOP? What were the results?

I think these foods are all very good for the eyes (and overall health).I eat kale, collards, broccoli, zucchini, and stuff like that every day. Since I made that change (more leafy greens and more veggies) in my diet, I am much healthier.

Did you see this post? http://fiteyes.com/blogs/fiteyes/2007/02/27/Best-Foods-for-Fit-Eyes-and-Great-Vision

I think people who switch from a poor diet to a really healthy diet might see more improvement in intraocular pressure than someone who already had a pretty good diet. There is no doubt that anyone who starts eating better will be helping their eyes in many ways. 

A few people in our self-tonometry research group do feel that food affects their intraocular pressure. I have had plenty of conversations with people on this subject but we need more data related on food intake and intraocular pressure before we can describe the details with the same level of precision that I can describe emotions and intraocular pressure. I'm sure we'll get this data eventually. And if anyone knows anything I don't, please jump in and tell us.

In my experience the strongest link is between the mind/emotions and intraocular pressure. However, when it comes to other aspects of eye health (such as the optic nerve, retina, etc.) diet may be even more critical. But as long as the conversation centers around eye pressure, the mind and emotions are the most important factors I have found.

 Thanks for your reply on this.  A couple of weeks ago, I had my eyes tested and they were 4 points lower than normal, I love tomatoes and had eaten quite a few before testing, I asked a friend who works at a hospital and he said tomatoes were considered a duratic and its possible they affected my IOP