August 17, 2021 - EyeClarity Blog
You don’t need to look at Keto as merely a fad diet for weight loss. You can see it instead as part of a very long-practiced science now proven to help heal and protect patients from a garden variety of serious physical and ailments at all ages — including some of the worst diseases that afflict the eyes. Jeepers, food can save those peepers?
Research has come to prove that the ketogenic diet’s benefits reach well beyond weight control; it also serves as a dramatic force against cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and even brain injuries. Add to this impressive healing list some of the most serious eye conditions like glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy — and you have a formidable yet simple practice that anyone can do at home in the kitchen or at the favorite restaurant.
The science behind Ketogenics is that, by replacing carbs with fats, the body goes into a state called “ketosis.” This results in significant fat-burning effects, while transforming fat into ketones within the liver. Thus, inflammation decreases and overall wellness increases. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of inflammation in the body, and how too much of it wreaks havoc throughout – right into the delicate eyes – of
which we only get one set.
At first glance, the Keto (short for Ketogenic) diet may seem counterintuitive as an effective weight loss and anti-inflammatory wonder touted by so many studies today. Eat a diet that is high in fat? Since when?! Since Keto originated nearly a century ago, when fasting was applied as a treatment method for patients with epilepsy. Though glossy mags and online rants have for the last couple years touted this as the latest-greatest thing (since sliced bread), Keto is in no way a newfound fad diet. It did in fact gain notoriety 90 years ago by Russel Wilder. But even by then, the concept was actually old news. The first documented mention of a low-carb diet dates back to 776 BC, which describes the diet of some superior Olympic athletes being simply “a minimum of carbohydrates and a lot of meat, as well as direct recommendations to avoid eating bread before performances.”
The science behind Ketogenics is that, by replacing carbs with fats, the body goes into a state called “ketosis.” The results in significant fat-burning effects, as well as the transformation of fat into ketones within the liver. Thus, inflammation depletes — throughout the body — including noticeable areas like the lower belly, and less noticeable places perhaps at first, like your eyes.
For one, glaucoma is always something to be on the “lookout” for. Despite its widespread severity as a culprit for blindness, it remains a stealthy, painless, yet menacing disease that often develops long before it is noticed or diagnosed. By then, it can be too late. Imagine your future in a world without sight that might have been avoided by making this one life choice.
A widely known fact is that the second-highest cause of vision loss (blindness) is glaucoma. Millions of Americans suffer from it. In fact, nearly two times the entire population of New Mexico suffer from this optical malady. And one way to help prevent it, is by enjoying a Keto diet. Rather than “diet,” try just to think of it as a lifestyle. One major clinical study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health examines how the Keto diet can “have a therapeutic benefit in diseases of the eye associated with neurodegeneration.” The groundbreaking study included a group of mice nearing the diagnosis of glaucoma, which were then given 90% fat-laden foods, and without any carbohydrates. In a matter of weeks, their overall health dramatically improved. What’s more, the deterioration of their optic nerves dramatically reduced. Their chances for developing glaucoma were notably minimized. The full study is written here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3939735/, and also appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Notice: in humans, some carbs are always necessary, as you’ll see below.
As a holistic eye care practitioner, I focus on maximizing nutrition and minimizing toxins. Intermittent fasting is what I recommend, which is skipping breakfast and eating two meals later in the day. Making sure to add mineral rich foods like organic broth, celery, cucumbers, seaweeds along with Celtic or Himalayan salt is important, ensuring that magnesium is part of the diet, while hydrating often. Also, making sure to take a vitamin-B complex daily supplement is recommended. The formula that I recommend is high fat 60-80%, moderate protein 40-50%, and low carbs 10-30%. (Celtic salt is a wonderful alternative to Himalayan salt; a little goes a long way, it has a luscious ocean-sense, is available at many health food stores, and it makes food taste absolutely delicious.)
If I told you that — making a few changes in your diet would boost your brain health, flatten your tummy, lower your blood sugar, banish inflammation, and begin healing some known or potential vision and other major illnesses inside of you, could you think of any reason not to? Bread! Cake! Crackers! Chips! Beer! Well, hasn’t common sense already told us that it’s a good idea to put aside our cravings for these highly addictive and toxic products if we want to live life to the fullest? But some habits are hard to break. Fortunately, volumes of helpful hints for keto-health can be found in books, magazines, medical journals and online resources. Be selective in your search. Avoid pitfalls or myths that coddle poor health habits, such as the one that the brain requires 130 grams of carbs daily. This is just not so.
Glance back to the epic little mice in the study we discussed. Recall that they were older, and on the cusp of failed eyesight. Yet the keto experiment resulted in proof that:
- Antioxidants significantly nurtured the optic nerves and eye cells.
- Degeneration of the optic nerve and eye cells stopped.
- Needed energy returned to the eyes.
Yet another major study proved that keto-style diets noticeably reduced the characteristics of macular degeneration in mice.
What of mice and men? When DuPont executives were noticed to be suffering widespread obesity in the 1940s, and no diets were helping, they brought in Dr. Alfred Pennington. He gave these 20 obese people a simple formula: high fat, high protein, low carb intake. The results? These top management execs loved the food, felt more energized without hunger, and lost 20 pounds each (on average), within just a few months.
With my patients, one of the things that I’ve noticed with ketosis is that it actually protects the retina cells against disease. This is worth reading twice. Just be mindful of and notice any possible changes in the clarity of your sight on Keto. At first, following the Keto lifestyle can sometimes cause temporary blurred vision while the body regulates itself under the new, healthier regimen. This is common; almost as common as the human desire for wellness and long-lived healthy vision. For more information on this and other naturopathic solutions to optimum optics, feel free to send your question/s to: hello@drsamberne.com.