Doctor Endorsements

This combination of nutrients, found in supplements like Ocuvite and VisiVite, is now widely recommended for people with moderate or severe macular degeneration. Current or former smokers may be better off with VisiVite's Smoker's Formula, which leaves out the beta-carotene (beta-carotene supplements my increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers).

Marvin Moe Bell, M.D., M.P.H.

Physician and Author

We see approximately 120 patients per week with about 15% having or being at risk for macular degeneration. Using the AREDS as our reference we became aware of the importance of nutritional supplements in the prevention of the progression of macular degeneration. This along with various other studies on the importance of vitamins for general eye health prompted us to look for a supplement that fit the needs of our patients. Visivite showed itself to be the only company who took pains to offer the ratio of different vitamins initially determined by AREDS.

Dr. Kendal Piatt, O.D.

Optometrist

At "Island Retina" our mission statement is to provide outstanding retinal care in a warm and supportive environment. I have been practicing for more than 20 years. We love taking care of patients with retinal disease including diabetes, macular degeneration and retinal detachments. Our practice is unique in that we have a surgery center,we are involved in several national research projects as well as our own research, and we have a satelite office in Commack, NY. I do a great deal of lecturing throughout the country as part of my committment to education. We have been recommending Visivite for several years. AREDS formulation vitamins are the mainstay in the treatment of dry AMD which affects about 1.7 million Americans. We find that the VisiVite vitamins fit the needs of our patients. We can recommend different formulations based on the patients' history. The quality is unsurpassed, they are well tolerated which increases patient compliance.

Pamela Weber, M.D.

Ophthalmologist

I've been in practice for 36 years. We see many patients with Macular Degeneration and dry eyes. As a general Ophthalmologist, I see patients with varying Eye problems including cataracts and glaucoma. Based on the AREDS study, a vitamin like Visivite is the only treatment for Macular Degeneration available today.

Martin L Weinhoff, MD

Ophthalmologist

We recommend that all of our patients take the VisiVite AREDS 2 formula vitamins, due to the evidence based nature of the formula (doses are based on the NIH study of macular degeneration).

Marc Lay, OD

Optometrist

East Florida Eye Institute specializes in the treatment of Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Diabetic Eye Disease, and Dry Eye Disease. We recommend the use of VisiVite for all of our Macular Degeneration patients.

Ronald E. P. Frenkel, M.D.

Ophthalmologist

Home > Multivitamin Use Linked to Younger Biological Age

Multivitamin Use Linked to Younger Biological Age

According to results published in the June, 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, taking a daily multivitamin may help women live longer by preventing parts of their DNA from shortening.

The aging and lifespan of normal, healthy cells are linked to the shortening of telomeres, which are the end portion of chromosomes. These telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes and buffer them against the loss of important genes during cell replication. Shortening of telomeres is related to the cellular dying of the organism, and longer length is understood to be the key to health and longevity. In other words, longer telomeres are better than shorter ones. Telomeres shorten slightly when cells divide, and researchers speculate that preventing this shortening could protect new cells and therefore reduce the effects of aging.

Dr. Honglei Chen at the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences analyzed multivitamin use and nutrient intakes, as well as telomere length of 586 women between the ages of 35 and 74. As part of the study, a 146-item food-frequency questionnaire was used to determine multivitamin use and nutrient intakes. The researchers noted that the telomeres were, on average, over 5 percent longer for daily multivitamin users, than they were for non-multivitamin users. This was the first time an epidemiological study of multivitamin use and telomere length was ever done. Dr. Chen and his co-workers noted that "telomere length may be a marker of biological aging, and that multivitamins may beneficially affect telomere length via modulation of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation."

In humans it has been shown that telomere length can be improved through lifestyle changes such as exercise, proper diet and stress reduction. There is enough medical research indicating that the average American diet is deficient in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and that 10 to 15 percent of Americans do not get the minimum amounts of these vitamins and minerals.

Several years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study detailing the status of nutrition in America. It stated that most people do not consume an optimal amount of vitamins through diet alone, and it was strongly recommended that everybody take vitamin supplements. Most of the food we consume contains barely half of the vitamins and minerals it did fifty years ago. In light of this recent research, there is increasing evidence that a good multivitamin may have a significant effect on health and longevity.