I first found out about goji berries about a decade ago. I was visiting an herbal store in Chinatown in Los Angeles and saw a bag of what looked like red raisins. I asked the Chinese herbalist at the store what this was good for and he pointed to his eyes. I bought a bag. The next morning, as I often do when I experiment with any new food or supplement, I ate a lot of them on an empty stomach without any other foods. I must have eaten several full handfuls. Later that afternoon I noticed that my vision was sharper and color perception had improved. Quite intrigued by this enhancement, I started researching this topic further and began experimenting with other foods and dietary substances that could influence vision. After several years of trial and error I put together a blend of vitamins, nutrients and herbs beneficial for eye health, including lutein and goji berry extract which contains zeaxanthin, and we called it Eyesight Rx. Most users notice visual improvement by the second or third day of use. Colors are brighter, night vision is improved, and people can see distance and read more easily.
Now back to our famous berry. Elderly adults between the ages of 65 and 70 years were randomized to receive either 14 grams a day of a goji berry formulation or placebo for 3 months. They had eye exams to determine pigmentation and soft drusen count in the macula (accumulations in the eye that are associated with macular degeneration) and a blood test to measure zeaxanthin (an important carotenoid in the eye which helps vision) level and total antioxidant capacity. The results revealed that those in the placebo group were found to have low pigmentation and soft drusen accumulation in the macula, whereas those in the goji berry group remained stable. It was also found that both plasma zeaxanthin level and antioxidant capacity increased significantly in the goji berry group, but did not change in the placebo group. There were no side effects. See http://www.raysahelian.com/maculardegeneration.html
A decade ago these berries were not well known in the United States. Now you can find them in health food stores and they are also available in capsule form either alone or combined with other nutrients and herbs in various eye formulas. For more info see http://www.raysahelian.com/gojiberry.html. To improve vision I also recommend taking 2 to 5 fish oil pills a day. See http://www.raysahelian.com/eyesight.html for additional suggestions on how to improve vision.
Common medications increase the risk for heart rhythm problems
In a newly published study from Denmark, use of non-selective, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs such as Motrin and Naprosyn) and Cox-2 inhibitors was associated with a significantly increased risk for atrial fibrillation. For natural ways to reduce the risk of A Fib, see http://www.raysahelian.com/atrialfibrillation.html