diet

Curcumin has been implicated in the treatment of certain eye dis- eases and conditions, including chronic anterior uveitis, an inflam- matory condition of the vascular layer, particularly the iris. In a small study, curcumin (375 mg t.i.d.) was administered orally for 12 weeks to 32 patients with chronic anterior uveitis. The participants were divided into two groups; the first received only curcumin while the second was treated with a combination of curcumin and antituber- cular therapy. All patients treated with curcumin alone improved, compared with a response rate of 86% among those receiving the combination therapy (42).

I've been performing systematic self-tonometry as well as taking regular blood pressure readings for four months now.  As Dave predicted I would, I've made several personal discoveries by simply gathering data and letting the findings rise to the top.

As one individual, my IOP is significantly influenced by environmental factors, particularly diet.  This has been frustrating because it is all a matter of trial and error, although I have been able to short-cut the process somewhat by reading about the restricted diets of migraine sufferers and the like.  In my case, free glutamates (MSG in all its various and sundry forms, in particular) will always spike my IOP by as much as 6 points.  It takes about three hours after ingestion for the effect to register which then, unfortunately, lasts for some time.  The same holds true when I eat foods that throw off histamines or tyramines.  Both of these biogenic amines are derived from amino acids and produced by foods that are highly processed, fermented, aged, marinated, slow-cooked, or, even slightly, spoiled.  Needless to say, when I go to bed with high pressures as a result of making a "mistake" at dinner, I pay for it with higher than normal IOP that night and into the next morning.  My working motto when it comes to food now is:  "Plain is good; fresh is best."  Sometimes that's easier said than done...try eating sushi without soy sauce.

My dietary effect is consistent enough that I can predict it in advance or almost always find the missing link when I look back at ingredients I consumed or take note of the way the food was prepared.

Curious to know if anyone has consistently experienced what I have with relation to dietary amines (particularly histamine and tyramine) and/or free glutamates:  namely, a marked increase in IOP approximately three hours after eating foods with these properties.

EDIT: see the follow up here: Effect of Diet and Other Environmental Factors on IOP

Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

PURPOSE: To determine whether there is an association between dietary omega-3 (omega-3) fatty acid intake, age, and intraocular pressure (IOP) caused by altered aqueous outflow.

For dry eyes, here are some things to consider:

1. Take flaxseed and/or fatty acid supplements. I use Neptune Krill Oil, Cod Liver Oil and DHA supplements. Here are a couple links to more info:
   http://fiteyes.com/Krill-Oil-Benefits-for-Vision-Better-Than-Fish-Oil
   http://fiteyes.com/fish-oils-for-vision
2. 

   Consume more Omega-3 fatty acids (and less Omega-6 fatty acids). Ideally the ratio between these two types of fatty acids in your diet should be around 1:1. In the typical western diet, people consume 20 times more Omega-6 fatty acids.The Omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the viscosity of tears and normalize the function of the tear glands. Sources of Omega-3 fatty acid in your diet include walnuts and soybeans.

3. Use castor oil eye drops. An old folk remedy for dry eyes, castor oil can be found in many commercial eye drops. I simply can add one drop of organic castor oil to my eyes at bedtime, but you can do it twice daily. Use an eye dropper.
4. Look into the supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Some researchers believe this amino acid stabilizes tear production. The usual does is 100 mg three times a day. I don't personally use this, but there has also been discussion that it would be helpful for glaucoma and other eye conditions.
5. Check out Taran's advice about coconut oil here: http://fiteyes.com/coconut-oil

See this article:

http://www.newsmax.com/health/omega_3_slow_vision_loss/2009/06/19/227012...

"Taken together, these data indicate that consuming a diet with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and low glycemic-index foods may delay compromised vision due to AMD," says Taylor.

By Joel Salatin, Public Affairs Books
Posted on June 20, 2009, Printed on June 21, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/140477/

Excerpted by permission from "Declare Your Independence" by Joel Salatin, part of the book Food, Inc., available now from PublicAffairs. Copyright 2009.

Here is an interesting article on HuffingtonPost

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/shattering-the-meat-myth_b_2...

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine President Dr. Neal Barnard says in his book, The Power of Your Plate, in which he explains that "early humans had diets very much like other great apes, which is to say a largely plant-based diet, drawing on foods we can pick with our hands. Research suggests that meat-eating probably began by scavenging--eating the leftovers that carnivores had left behind. However, our bodies have never adapted to it. To this day, meat-eaters have a higher incidence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other problems."

Americans consume about 5 billion hamburgers a year. It is presumed that most hamburgers are Abstract composed primarily of meat. The purpose of this study is to assess the content of 8 fast food hamburger brands using histologic methods. Eight different brands of hamburgers were evaluated for water content by weight and microscopically for recognizable tissue types.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining was used to evaluate for brain tissue. Water content by weight ranged from 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%).

Cut your glaucoma risk by 60 percent by eating one serving a month of kale and collard greens or two or more servings a week of carrots.

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=21287

Introduction

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are highly enriched in the nervous system. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3),in particular, is the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain and is concentrated in aminophospholipids of cell membranes. Numerous studies have indicated that this concentration of DHA in the nervous system is essential for optimal neuronal and retinal functions (1).

Although the underlying mechanisms of its essential function are still not clearly understood, emerging evidence suggests that unique metabolism of DHA in relation to its incorporation into neuronal membrane phospholipids plays an important role. In this review, biochemical mechanisms for enriching and metabolizing DHA in neural cells are discussed in the context of their biological significance in neuronal function.

Read the abstract or download the article here...