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Posted on 05/19/2025 9:14:21 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A vitamin supplement that improves metabolism in the eye appears to slow down damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma.
In glaucoma, the optic nerve is gradually damaged, leading to vision loss and, in the worst cases, blindness. High pressure in the eye drives the disease.
Glaucoma researchers have long theorized the substance homocysteine is somehow relevant to understanding the disease. Now, researchers have investigated the role of homocysteine in several ways.
In the current study, the researchers discovered that when rats with glaucoma were given elevated levels of homocysteine, their disease did not worsen.
The researchers also found that high levels of homocysteine in the blood of people with glaucoma did not correlate with how quickly the disease progressed, and that glaucoma was not more common in people with a genetic susceptibility to forming high levels of homocysteine. Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that homocysteine does not drive the disease but is a consequence of it.
Since homocysteine is a natural part of the body's metabolism, the researchers wanted to investigate metabolic pathways involving homocysteine in both rodents and humans with glaucoma.
They then saw several abnormalities, the most important of which were metabolic changes linked to the retina's ability to use certain vitamins. This change meant that metabolism was slowed down locally in the retina—and this played a role in the development of the disease.
In experiments on mice and rats with glaucoma, the researchers gave supplements of the B vitamins B6, B9 and B12, as well as choline. This had a positive effect. In mice that had slower-developing glaucoma, the damage to the optic nerve was completely halted. In rats, which had a more aggressive form of the disease with faster progression, the disease was slowed down.
In these experiments, eye pressure was left untreated.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
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They left the pressures high and the glaucoma was still halted.
They have a human trial going, now.
A Russian study on glaucoma and choline years ago led me to take choline daily, if not getting egg yolks. I was found to have high eye pressures and have been been able to drop my pressures by ten points in each eye, largely from supplements and diet, alone. I have a Brimonidine prescription (0.1%) for just one eye, twice a day, but the medicine is completely optional, now that my pressures are nearly too low.
I also take the other B vitamins listed, daily, along with a few other supplements meant to help treat or prevent glaucoma. I have no visual loss, but twice the machines have said I did. If I did, I got it all back and have zero retinal layer or field loss.
My ophthalmologist is impressed.
First of all, thank you very much for posting these kinds of articles...sometimes they are very helpful. But don’t you ever get sick of the titles, i.e., “Vitamin supplements MAY slow down the...”
“Studies show that Explosive Diarrhea May Cure Cognitive Decline in Seniors While Improving Their Social Lives” (sarcasm)
Come on, anything MAY do something sometimes!
Sincerely, thanks again!
I am too. Thanks for the heads up
Thanks for posting this.
I am a “glaucoma suspect” and have been blessed by God to say in that category for I think 15 years. Lots of tests and pressure checks. I pray I stay out of the danger range.
Hope this vitamin study will be proof it’s helpful.
Thanks again.
What about Lutein?
Eye Dr pushes that
So injections and eye drops for the rest of my life are what I have to look forward to. I am new to all of this, so I have a lot to learn.
Good information, ConservativeMind. Thank you.
I’d be a lot more skeptical of a title that claimed that something WILL produce a certain result, implying no exceptions ever.
I have been taking Lutein for years as prophylactic to prevent possible genetic macular degeneration.
It apparently works because the condition has never developed
I take lutein with zeaxanthin and eat a few goji berries each day (greatest natural source of zeaxanthin).
Additionally, I take black currant extract, and a combination of pycnogenol and bilberry called “Mirtogenol.” These specifically have all been shown to help, in studies, along with the choline.
However, in my research, I noted the trabecular meshwork is virtually identical to the endothelial layer that lines our entire cardiovascular system. Consequently, I identified an available supplement that helps with repairing that endothelial layer that has a special seaweed extract in it. It has both reduced the blood pressure of myself and my wife while seemingly helping my trabecular mesh.
I also take some antioxidants, which includes ergothioneine (mushroom antioxidant), taurine, glycine, and NAC, which can also help the eyes and the endothelial layer. Taurine helps make superoxide dismutase (SOD), while glycine and NAC help create glutathione. SOD and glutathione are the two major antioxidants our bodies made, when younger, and our bodies can’t produce these well, as we age, so supplementing undoes some of this concern.
Contact me if you want more specifics.
The key is to make a conscious effort to look at something fuzzy and learn what lets your eye focus. Interestingly, to see further away, you have to relax your eye focusing muscles. This is what we forget to do, when we look close up too long, every day.
Glaucoma risk shoots up radically when your prescription gets to -5 diopters, and above. People who get LASIK can permanently lock in these diopters, which means you still have the prior prescription, but permanently.
You will typically note you see further away in the early morning and your prescription needs gets worse through the day. This is the daily example of what you do to your eyes. Your eye muscles are staying stressed and not relaxing back to when you woke up.
You can actually go beyond this daily effect and get even better.
What form of glaucoma do you have and how high are your adjusted pressures?
Be sure to look at my other posts in this thread. The form of glaucoma my ophthalmologist thought I was headed toward was “open angle.”
I do believe this can be helped from the pressure, antioxidant, and retinal layer sides.
I figure the drop takes it down about 1.5 mm Hg. My doctor said I may need to completely stop the low dose I am on, because my pressures are nearly too low.
This is what can be done with just eating and supplementing differently, along with walking back my near-sighted prescription.
Interesting. I have a friend with glaucoma. He recently had some sort of procedure done for it.
I take a super B complex everyday. I don’t know about the eyes but it really gives you an energy boost.
I had the cataract process. Did monovision. One eye focuses 15 inches, the other distance. Almost never use any glasses xcept rx sunglasses driving on real sunny days
I had the once a day drop with side effects. Was yellow cap, now purple 2x a day.
I have open angle glaucoma. As far as the pressure in my eye, I don’t have that info. I don’t have it on line, either. You can bet I’m gonna request it.
You want to eapecially know what your net mm Hg numbers are.
For instance, if you have a thicker cornea, your ophthalmologist can identify that thickness and beyond a certain point, it is artificially making your eye pressure reading look higher than it is. A person with a thicker cornea can have look like the pressure is 3 mm Hg higher than it really is, while a thinner cornea is actually a higher pressure than it reads.
I have a thicker cornea. So people like me can have a reading like 30, but it’s really 27 mm Hg. Someone with a thin one may show 23, but it’s actually 24 or 25.
That net reading is what is treated, but going for a normal “puff” test can’t tell you those off-sets. I know my puff test is always higher than it really is.
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