Lowri Turner reveals why her mother’s AMD diagnosis has changed her outlook, she doesn’t mince her words. The London born and bred fashion journalist come TV presenter, 42, is as well known for her controversial newspaper columns and says that she is still coming to terms with her mother’s diagnosis of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). 

AMD affects the central part of the retina in one or more usually both eyes, causing progressive loss of central and detailed vision and is the most common reason for people in the UK to be registered blind. Estimates suggest that as many as 2.5 million people in the UK unknowingly have the disease. The condition can be easily identified by having regular eye tests, with early treatment helping to combat its effects.

“I’d never heard of AMD before Mum’s diagnosis,” says Lowri. “I was aware that failing eye sight was something that often happened to people as they grew older but never expected to hear that AMD was not only very common but that it also led to blindness. I was also shocked to find out it was incurable. Most conditions can be treated these days so I assumed it would simply be a matter of getting the right help.” 

Discovering that AMD is often hereditary was an added blow for Lowri. “Like any single parent I’m very aware that I need to keep myself in good health to be able to perform both as a Mum and at work which is why looking after my sight is all the more important to me,” she says. “I’ll certainly be ensuring my eyes are regularly tested from now on. If my sight fails life would be much more difficult for all of us.” That’s why Lowri now gets her eyes tested regularly and takes Bausch & Lomb’s Ocuvite Lutein, an advanced antioxidant supplement designed to provide complete nutritional support for the eyes. The product contains 6mg of lutein, plus vitamins C and E, and the minerals zinc and copper. 

“I began to look in to the benefits of Lutein after my mother was recommended it by her doctor to help slow down her AMD symptoms,” she says. “Lutein is the yellow pigment found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, and also in the macula of the eye, which is the part of the eye affected by macular degeneration. The supplements help to maintain eye health, and protect it for the future.” 

Working hard, she admits, is something her mother drummed in to her at an early age. “Mum went back to work when I was 11 and impressed the importance of hard work on all of her children,” Lowri says. “My father worked for a charity so money was always tight and we were taught that if you wanted something you had to earn it. That certainly rubbed off on me. Mum is also incredibly chic so influenced me to pursue a career in fashion journalism. Although most of our clothes came from Oxfam, we would always be really well turned out as a family.” 

Lowri’s writing career soon saw her launched into TV and today she is a regular on The Wright Stuff as well as BBC Breakfast News and Richard and Judy. “I started by being asked for opinions on fashion for television,” she explains, “and was gradually offered more and more work. By that time I had moved to general journalism so did, and still do, a lot of commenting on what’s in the news.” 

Her outspoken columns in national newspapers and magazines regularly provoke debate but Lowri insists she never deliberately intends to shock. “I grew up in a very non-conformist home,” she says. “My father was a conscientious objector in the Second World War – and even as a child I was encouraged to have my own opinions and not just follow the crowd. I think a lot of that has rubbed off in my writing and so yes, some of my columns do provoke rather than sit comfortably with readers.” 

Now keener than ever to protect her health and support her Mum’s, Lowri’s latest big project has been a nutritional therapy course which she has been doing for the last two years. She says: “In my twenties and thirties my weight went up and down by as much as three stone at a time and it wasn’t until I was working on Celebrity Fit Club and started interviewing doctors and nutritionists that I realised the importance of maintaining your blood sugar level by eating sensibly. I began to apply some of what I’d seen and heard about on the show to my own diet and really noticed a difference. That spurred me on to sign up for the course on nutritional therapy. I’m hoping to be able to practice after a further year of study.” 

Asked if she intends to be the next Gillian McKeith she laughs. “I don’t think so, although I admire her for being so successful and raising public awareness of the importance of good nutrition,” she says. “I enjoy the variety in my work too much to solely focus on nutrition but I hope to practice a day a week if I can.” 

For now, the focus is firmly on her mother. “It’s very much a case of ‘wait and see’,” she says, “My greatest fear is that there might be a time when Mum will no longer be able to see her grandchildren which would be a great shame. But my family has always coped with whatever life has thrown at it and come out the other side. When the going gets tough, the Turners get fighting!” Lowri’s Mum is now helping to preserve her sight by taking PreserVision Lutein Soft Gels for her AMD. The two-a-day soft gels, which are also available in an ‘Original’ formulation, are high potency supplements developed from the only formulation tested in a 10-year eye health study. 

PreserVision Soft Gels are available over the counter at most Boots stores and pharmacies, priced at £14.95 (RRP) for 60 Soft Gels. For further information call the PreserVision helpline on 01748 828781 or visit www.preservision.co.uk  Lowri Turner takes Ocuvite Lutein capsules, from Boots and independent pharmacies, priced £7.49 (RRP) for one month’s supply. For further information visit www.bausch.co.uk.