(NaturalHealth365) Vision loss becomes a serious concern as you grow older, and macular degeneration – the top cause of poor eyesight in aging adults – primarily occurs due to aging.  In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over three million Americans over the age of 40 deal with age-related vision loss, and millions more are at risk for developing this disease.

Unfortunately, individuals with vision loss face additional problems. They’re more likely to deal with hearing impairment, cognitive decline, depression, stroke, falls, and diabetes, which significantly impacts the quality of life. However, one new study conducted by the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered that there’s a simple and surprising way to slow or prevent vision loss.

Can you guess what it is?

Study shows benefits of a simple activity for good eye health

According to researchers, regular exercise helps to reduce the harmful blood vessel overgrowth that occurs in the eyes, which is a significant contributor to eye diseases like macular degeneration – the leading cause of vision loss. In fact, not only did the study find that exercising helped prevent the loss of vision, it found that it helped reduce the severity of macular degeneration, too.

While scientists have questioned how a healthy lifestyle may be able to slow or prevent vision loss, previously that question had only been answered by surveys of patients on their exercise levels and eating habits. This new study goes beyond self-reporting to offer hard evidence that shows the benefits of regular exercise for overall health.

The good news: the study showed that even low levels of exercise offered benefits. Exercising helped reduce harmful blood vessel overgrowth by as much as 45%.

Although researchers aren’t completely certain of how exercise prevents this overgrowth, they believe that various factors likely contribute to the findings, such as increasing the blood flow to the eyes.  Beyond slowing or preventing macular degeneration, this new research also suggestions that exercise may also reduce risks for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, which are other causes of poor eyesight.

Additional natural ways to slow or prevent vision loss and boost eye health

Along with adding routine exercise to your daily life, you can take additional natural measures to prevent the loss of your vision and boost overall eye health. Getting plenty of the powerful antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin supports eye health and slows age-related vision loss.

Research backs up the use of kitchen spice saffron for improving visual function in patients dealing with age-related macular degeneration.

Additional nutrients and vitamins that offer eye health benefits include:

Vitamin A: Found in grass-fed butter, chicken or beef liver, raw milk, and pasture-raised eggs
Vitamin D: Get it from sun exposure, organic eggs, wild-caught salmon, sardines or supplementation
Vitamin B complex: Found on organic whole grains, soy products, liver, and legumes
Selenium: Get more from organic brown rice, wild seafood, and Brazil nuts

Naturally, we should never forget the added benefit of good nutrition for healthy eyesight.  But, the combination of daily (mild forms of) exercise with a healthy diet is always the best strategy.  Make your improvements – starting today!

Sources for this article include:

CDC.gov
Eurekalert.org
NaturalHealth365.com
NaturalHealth365.com