Going on a vegan diet helped save my sight
A WOMAN who feared she would lose her sight has reversed her condition by going vegan.
Jane Lord discovered she was showing early signs of macular degeneration during a routine eye test in 2010.
A scan by her optician showed a wavy line on her retina – an early indicator of the condition, which leads to damage to the retina and loss of central vision. It is the leading cause of blindness in the over-50s.
Determined to do all she could to save her sight, the retired teaching assistant and her son Justin, 42, a lifestyle coach and nutritionist, discovered eating a plant-based diet could help.
She became vegan and five years on, her most recent scan has shown her condition seems to have gone.
Ageing
Jane, from Bracknell, Berks, said: “Being told I had the early signs of Macular Degeneration (MD) in my left eye came as a shock.
“I have worn glasses since my 40s and over the years, my prescription changed a few times. But I put that down to the ageing process.
“I asked the optician what caused it and he said it was free radicals, groups of atoms which can cause cell damage. I asked if there was anything I could do and he said antioxidants – molecules which can combat free radical damage – would help.” Vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene are all beneficial and found in among other foods nuts, seeds, peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, yams, strawberries and peaches.
Jane said: “I was working at a school and was often so busy I didn’t have time for lunch but I was generally very healthy. I didn’t want to just accept my eyesight was going to deteriorate.” So Jane looked into the best foods to eat to boost eye health. Her son Justin, who runs lifelabretreat.co.uk was studying for a PhD in nutrition and suggested she followed a plant-based diet.
The NHS is also encouraging those diagnosed with MD to boost their fruit and vegetable intake. Sundeep Vaswani, eye sciences clinical research associate at eye specialists Optegra, said: “Everyone should make sure they eat enough leafy green vegetables. They are one of the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin – some of the most important carotenoids for ocular health.”
Jane said: “I’d been vegetarian for 45 years but five years ago, Justin told me about the benefits of a diet rich in vegetables, nuts, fruits and seeds. We decided to follow a plantbased vegan diet for our health – and for animals and the planet too.
“I went every year for an eye test and each time it stayed the same. Then at my last test, the optician said he was going to check my eyes on a more modern scanner.
“He looked at the results and said, ‘It’s not there anymore.’ The white line in my eye was completely straight. If I had MD, it would have been wavy. I was thrilled.”
Havinder Sembi, who treated Jane at Specsavers in Bracknell, said: “I’m pleased Mrs Lord’s vision hasn’t got any worse. Whether her healthy diet and high intake of antioxidants have made a difference or not isn’t something we can definitely say.
“But the main thing is the eyes haven’t changed in eight years which is a positive thing.”
Jane says while her experience isn’t the same as a scientific study, she hopes sharing her story will help other people. “People are really surprised my diet has had such an effect on my vision, but it really has.”