Feast For Thine Eyes
It is the age of medical advancement and we are all clamouring to look young and feel young even at 100!!
Have you ever thought about your eyes? As we age, our eyes age too. Protection from age related damage starts early and starts in your kitchen. There is no need for medical supplements if you eat well. Eating well does not have to be expensive. Simple home foods and ingredients that you can find in most homes will provide the vitamins, minerals and nutrients to keep eyes healthy longer.
Aging Of The Eye
AMD (age related macular degeneration) is a growing concern as the population ages. It is a degeneration of the central part of the eye called the macula and can lead to central vision blur/loss. There are invariably 2 types, one known as the wet macular degeneration and the other as dry macula degeneration. The statistics show that 50% of all 85 year olds will get AMD.
Just changing your diet in a small way can help you in the long run. These antioxidants can also protect you from the dangers from sunlight, cigarettes, smoke, air population, as they enter the lens and retina, as they are believed to absorb visible light.
Everyday Vegetables
Remember your Nan reminding you to eat your broccoli and your carrots? She was right!
Carrots, sweet potato and pumpkins are an essential providers of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is required for you to see well in the dark. Eating broccoli, curly leaf kale, spinach and other dark green vegetable with provide you with important minerals like Lutien and zeoxanthin which are antioxidants known to help slow down macular degeneration by 25% (AREDS 2 study).
Coloured Fruits and Vegetables
So is it not just green leaves, but brightly coloured fruit like kiwis, grapefruit, peppers, blueberries etc also play their part in protecting the eyes. They contain high levels of antioxidants.
Nuts and Seeds
People under estimate the importance of wheatgerm, nuts and seeds. They provide us with Vitamin E that help us keep our skin and hair strong and protect our eyes from drying.
Eggs, Fish and Omega 3
How many times have i come across patients complain about watery irritated eyes that are ACTUALLY dry. We call it the paradoxical dry eyes as eyes actually water when they are dry. Omega 3 present in free range eggs, oily fish and seeds all help in protecting the eyes from drying by keeping the oily layers in our tears healthy. As tears are made up of several layers, the oil layer is essential in protecting the underlying aqueous and mucus layers.
Sadly, it has been found that as we age, our bodies absorbtion of these nutritions from our food reduces and we may not be getting the full benefit from eating them. Multiformula supplements may play a big role in topping up what you need.
As the AREDS 2 study suggests taking multivitamins can slow down the rate of deterioration of AMD if you are diagnosed with it. It is essential if you show signs or suffer from AMD, to take supplements like VISIONACE or Nutroftotal to name a few if advised.
Conclusion
However you must consult your GP before taking supplements as some of them may contain betacarotene that can raise your chances of lung cancer if you are or were a smoker in the last 15 years.
If you do not have AMD, there is no proof taking supplements will prevent it.
So step forward into a new way of eating your way to, healthy eyes and clearer vision all the way.
Recipe ideas and links to follow: