Keratoconus and diet

[Andrew MacLean]

Some years ago I read an article about an association between keratoconus and a deficiency in Magnesium.

This is now fairly well documented and is featured in sites like this one:

http://www.ctds.info/magnesium.html

There is, of course, a health warning that has to accompany sites like this as they seem also to be selling Magnesium supplements.

This line of thinking did, however, open my horizons a little. While I am, so far as I am aware, the only member of my own genetic descent ever to have Keratoconus, I have had close relatives who live or lived with other conditions also associated with Magnesium deficiency (I have put the ones that don't apply in blue):

Fibromyalgia
Hearing Loss : My mother, father, son and I all suffer or suffered from degrees of deafness.
Hypercalciuria
Keratoconus: that'd be me!
Menstrual Cramps (Dysmenorrhea): Not me, but female members of my family have suffered badly
Migraines: Just about all the members of my family, myself included.
Mitral valve prolapse: Mother and father.
Muscle Contractions and Cramps
Myopia: Just about all of us.
Nystagmus
Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
Premature Birth
Rachitic Skeletal Features:

Now, it may be that my keratoconus is related to a genetic inability to metabolize Magnesium. This may, of course, not be correctable by simply increasing the amount of magnesium in my diet, but I have long thought it was worth the effort. I try to avoid taking supplements, but I do try to eat a Magnesium rich diet. This means that, in any day, I'll try to include some of the following in my normal diet:

Beans I think that Black beans are best, but I also like borlotti beans, broad beans ... ... ...
Broccoli, raw
Halibut
Nuts, peanuts
Oysters Don't you love having an excuse to eat raw oysters? My favourite come from Loch Fyne.
Rockfish
Scallop (My favourite kind of healthy food!)
Seeds, pumpkin and squash
Spinach
Whole grain cereal
Whole wheat bread

Does anyone else have any thoughts on food we could eat to help control our condition?

Andrew

[GarethB]

Andrew,

My fish intake is limited to cod and salmon, but have the greens you list on a regular basis, always have done.

What is very different in my diet compared to what it once was is the amount of Rhiboflavin and that is since late 2004. So far (touch wood) the KC has been stable.

[Elizabeth R]

go vegan or vegetraian .it will help keratoconus .

[Andrew MacLean]

My daughter made a lifestyle choice a number of years ago to go vegetarian, and has since become a (virtual) vegan. (I think that she will eat some eggs or dairy if she is out in company, but she does not usually cook with them herself).

A problem that she did encounter in her early days was that unless she was careful her diet became poor in magnesium and some vitamins (including riboflavin).

However, a little research made it possible for her to stick to her vegetarian principles and have a full and balanced and extremely healthy diet.

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/advice/index.php
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/magnesium-mineral-supplemtation.php

Andrew

[Elizabeth R]

There is a lot of vegetarian food out there now,inriched with vitamins.I don't take vitamin supplements,i find that vitalite is really good.

[Andrew MacLean]

We used to use Vitalite as our spread of choice. It is a pretty good source of some nutrients


(from the vitalite website: Vitalite

Andrew

[Elizabeth R]

I drink Rice milk and soya milk.

[Andrew MacLean]

My daughter is a bit sniffy about Rice Milk and Soya Milk, but very keen on Almond milk, which she makes herself

Almond Milk is a good substitute for cow's milk because it is a source of protein (and traces of Magnesium and other micro-nutrients. i found this recipe:

Raw Vanilla Almond Milk

1 cup soaked almonds
(Soak in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight and rinse before using)
3 cups water
1 vanilla bean, seeds scooped out
3-5 soft pitted dates (or soak hard dates in water for 1/2 hour) or
other sweetener to taste such as honey or stevia

To make raw almond milk blend the soaked almonds with the water until smooth. Then strain the mixture through a sprout bag, cheesecloth, or strainer into a big bowl. Save the almond pulp in a container and put in the refrigerator for later use.

Put the almond milk back into the blender carafe and blend in the vanilla seeds and dates or other sweetener until smooth. This milk will last in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Shake well before using. Variation: Blend in a banana and use a pinch of nutmeg to make a festive rawnog.

At Living Foods

Andrew

[Elizabeth R]

sugar not good for KC.i need to cut it out.

[donna]

This is something I am getting interested in. Can you have a blood test to check magnesium levels? Or is there symptoms of having low levels? Like low levels of iron etc