Swan Family Vision Care provides complete vision and eye care, efficiently and with enthusiasm.
How would you like to reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by a significant amount? Well, here’s an easy and delectable way to do it: eat more fish.
A recent study showed that subjects who ate one or more servings of fatty fish per week dodged the AMD diagnosis by 42% compared to those who only ate fish rarely. This result corroborates earlier studies of the protective link between fish oil and eye health.
Experts believe that a diet that relies heavily upon refined foods and carbohydrates can cause your blood sugar to spike, raising the glycemic index and negatively affecting your eyes.
One way to save money on fresh food and also avoid costly medical problems later in life is to buy plenty of fruits and vegetables in season when the price is lowest. Late autumn and early winter fruits and vegetables include:
apples, broccoli, cranberries, grapes, lettuce, pomegranates, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, winter squash
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently reported on a study indicating that eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains decreases a person’s risk of developing cataracts.
Other studies have found that cataract formation can also occur when sun exposure and certain medications are combined.
Cataracts are cloudy areas that form on the lens of the eye. Even infants and young children can develop them. We can identify them during your routine comprehensive eye examination and advise you on the best way to deal with them.
Research suggests that a diet rich in antioxidants reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Specific antioxidants found in fresh fruit and vegetables can also help reduce the risk of blindness and glaucoma.
Save on your grocery bill by buying what’s in season this summer:
apricots, blueberries, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, green beans, kiwi, lettuce, peaches, persimmons, plums, pomegranates, pumpkins, raspberries, spinach, strawberries, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon
Gardeners are twitching with anticipation over the warming soil and longer days. This year, why not plant a garden for your eyes?
You may think that cataracts and age-related macular degeneration only afflict the elderly. But the earlier you begin preventative measures—such as improved diet–the less likely you’ll be to suffer from loss of sight later. Introducing your children to foods that are good for the eyes will help them become lifelong practitioners of good eating, too, and reap vision rewards well into old age.
Carotenoids, organic pigments found in plants, absorb blue light. Two such carotenoids are especially helpful in protecting the retina and keeping cells healthy: lutein and zeaxanthin. Both combat lens oxidation and, according to a recent study, help decrease cataract formation.
So, what to plant in that eye garden? Fortunately, several foods containing carotenoids are so easy to grow that children can plant and tend them. Collards, spinach, turnip greens and kale are leafy greens rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Broccoli is also good and a popular gardener’s choice. Other vegetables include corn, peas, beans, and lettuce. You can get a health benefit from as little as ½ cup of cooked greens per day.
Start planning your garden now and get children involved, too. Chances are, they’ll be a lot more excited about eating vegetables they’ve grown themselves! Remember to protect their eyesight by making sure they wear their sunhats and sunglasses while working outdoors. At Swan Family Vision Care, we can help you in determining the right balanced diet to meet your visual needs. Call us for a checkup.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) reported recently on an Australian study that suggests a visual benefit to eating saffron, the spice that adds color to curry and paella.
The test, using a saffron pill, showed a reversal in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to researcher Silvia Bisti at the University of Sydney. “All patients experienced improvements in their vision while taking the saffron pill,” she noted. The test also showed that the effect disappeared when participants stopped taking saffron. Further studies are planned.
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to begin eating as if your eyesight depended upon it, which it may.
At this time of year with its dark nights, put some bright color into your shopping cart:
orange: cantaloupe, acorn and butternut squash, mango, sweet potatoes, papaya, apricots, orange peppers, tangerines
deep green: spinach, chard, kale, green peppers, collard greens, broccoli
red: strawberries, tomatoes, red peppers, persimmons
According to the National Eye Institute, good nutrition is linked with the prevention of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S., caused when the part of the retina called the macula changes.
Current treatment options for AMD are limited and cataract surgery is costly. So, investing in eye health now just may save you money and eyesight later.
Studies suggest that you can protect your eyes by eating foods high in vitamins C and E and ones that contain beta carotene, zinc, lutein, and zeaxanthin. The colorful foods above contain these nutrients.
Additional eye-healthy foods include:
almonds, pecans, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, milk, meat, and shellfish
If you gradually exchange sugary and salty snack items for fresh or dried fruit and raw nuts and seeds, not only will you improve your chances of having good vision longer in life but you’ll enjoy additional overall health dividends.
The older you get, the more often you may need to see your eye doctor for a routine eye exam. The American Optometric Association recommends children have their first exam before 6 months of age, then another at age 3, another before starting first grade, and every two years after that. Adults age 18 to 40 should have an eye exam every two to three years. From age 41 to 60, eye
exams should be every two years. By age 61 it’s time for annual checkups.
If you have diabetes or a personal or family history of eye disease you may need more frequent eye exams. People with diabetes are at risk for diabetic retinopathy, a sight-threatening condition. More frequent exams will help you and your doctor detect any eye problems early, when eye conditions are usually more treatable.
If you have an autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis you may also need to see the eye doctor more often. Some autoimmune conditions go hand-in-hand with conditions that can affect vision or eye health. For instance, some patients with multiple sclerosis experience blurred or double vision or have trouble seeing the colors red and green. Some patients with lupus experience dry eyes, eyelid rashes, eye inflammation and sometimes retinal disease. Dry eyes and eye inflammation sometimes occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Even if it’s not time for your regular exam, see your eye doctor right away if you notice any worrisome changes in your vision, such as floaters (spots), flashes of light, a blind spot, a dark curtain falling over your vision, or eye pain.
A study described in the May issue of the journal Diabetes Care indicates a link between diet and type 2 diabetes. The study suggests that a vegan or vegetarian diet can lower an individual’s body mass index (BMI).
Prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a major cause of retina damage, was linked to higher BMI which, in turn, was linked to the volume of animal products in a person’s diet. Vegans have the lowest rate of type 2 diabetes, according to the study.
We’ve said it before but we’ll say it again. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will help your eyes stay healthy longer.
And summer is a great time to start.
Many of the glorious eye-healthy foods recommended by the American Optometric Association (AOA) can be grown in your garden or found at farmer’s markets. Even your local supermarket carries most of the foods that are essential to an eye-healthy diet.
The AOA recommends getting plenty of the following six essential nutrients:
Easy ways to get your zinc include milk, beans, whole grains, and shellfish. Red meat, poultry, and liver are also good sources, in moderation. Fatty acids are found in eggs, whole grains, and certain kinds of fleshy fish (herring, tuna, salmon, etc.).
Broccoli, corn, green beans, kale, oranges, peas, spinach and tangerines all contain high amounts of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. All are great in fresh salads tossed with your favorite dressing. On those scorching days when it’s too hot to cook, assemble a refreshing salad with a side of whole-grain toast. Add hard-boiled eggs to the salad for protein and you’ll increase your zinc intake.
Many of the vegetables and fruits listed above have vitamin C in them, too. Tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries, oranges, and grapefruit are also good sources. These items can be integrated into your eye-healthy salad and added to your diet in many other easy and delicious ways.
Vitamin E is found in many nuts and seeds and in various oils. Sprinkle chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds over your salad and dress it with oil rich in vitamin E to increase the eye-healthy components in your salad.