Do you ever remember getting asked as a kid, “If you had to lose one sense, which one would it be, and which one would you most strongly not want to lose?” It makes you think about what your life would be like without touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight, and the majority of the time, friends would agree – sight is the most valued sense of them all. In fact more than 70% of survey respondents from a National Eye Health Education Program survey revealed that the loss of their eyesight would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day activities.
Our eye health is directly related to our overall health. But we don’t generally think about our eye health. We hear so much in the media and from our doctors about lifestyle choices including diet and exercise being related to heart health, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and now with rising rates of diabetes, our morning glucose or blood sugar levels.
Recently I was asked to do a talk about eye health to a group of seniors. It was a great exchange and they liked the healthy, colorful, tasty food samples too. In preparation for the talk I did lot’s of research and here is what I found.
As rates of chronic disease like diabetes rise, along with an aging population, rates of blindness and low vision are expected to double to affect 6.6 million Americans by 2030.
However, aging does not automatically equate to decreased vision, provided you’ve properly nourished your eyes through the years. (1) The way we take care of ourselves with diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices matters to our eyes. (2)
So, what should you make sure you are doing to nourish, protect and take care of your eyes?
The following are recommendations for specific nutrients, vitamins, foods, and lifestyle choices. The studies and additional more technical information are footnoted.
1. Eat foods rich in lutein (3), nicknamed “the eye vitamin”, and zeanthanin which are found in high concentrations in your macula and retina. These foods include:
Lutein is water-soluble so you want to eat these foods with some healthy fat. Think olive oil for sautéed or raw salad greens, or an egg cooked with olive or grape seed oil. I like to have orange segments with a few chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut for a snack.
2. Get your vitamins, preferably through whole fruits and vegetables, and wild seafood with high levels of Omega-3. Eye vitamins help keep your vision accurate by strengthening the lens, cornea, retina, and macula. They are especially important for precise vision since they prevent cataracts, which cloud the lens and make it hard for light to be focused.
Here are the vitamins you want in your diet specifically to help with eye health.
3. Eat these whole foods that benefit eye health
4. Follow these other lifestyle recommendation that also come into play for eye health
(1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 87% of Americans are not meeting vegetable intake and 75% of Americans are not meeting fruit intake recommendations for good nutrition.
(2) The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (2001 sponsored by the National Eye Institute) found that poor diet was a major risk factor for age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Estimates show that more than 25 million people worldwide are affected by age-related macular degeneration or cataracts, especially people aged 55 and older living in Western nations – most likely because their diets are low in key nutrients but high in things that cause inflammation.
(3) Researchers at Harvard University have found that supplementing with six milligrams daily of lutein can lower the risk for macular degeneration by an average of 43% .
(4) Vitamin E, A, C work together to keep cells and tissues strong and protected from effects of inflammation. Taking these vitamins has been shown to improve healing and vision in people undergoing laser eye surgery. Certain studies have found people have about 25% lower risk of developing advanced stages of macular degeneration when consuming at least 400 IU of vitamin E daily, especially taken with Vitamin A (as beta-carotene), Vitamin C, and zinc.
(4) According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, a healthy diet high in vitamins E, A, C and zinc can also fight glaucoma (tunnel vision, vision loss), that’s caused by damage to the optic nerves in the eyes.
(5) Studies have found that zinc in combination with other vitamins helps protect the retina and lower risk for macular degeneration. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (2001 sponsored by the National Eye Institute) showed 40-80 milligrams a day intake of zinc, taken with antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C, slows progression of advanced macular degeneration by about 25 % and visual acuity loss by 19 % in people with high risk for these diseases.
(6) A 2005 study in the Advances in Gerontology showed long term supplementation of bilberry extract is effective in prevention of macular degeneration and cataract.
(7) Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C are beneficial for those whose immune systems have been weakened due to poor diets, chronic stress and illness.
(7) Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and slow down the effects of aging. They help stabilize blood sugar levels, which lowers inflammatory responses, helps to fight eye damage caused by diabetes, improves circulation and helps stop cells from mutating. Omega-3 fatty acid and DHA is concentrated in your eye’s retina.
(7) Wild Salmon also contains astaxanthin, which is one of the most important nutrients for the prevention of blindness.
(8) Oxidative damage can cause problems with blood reaching the eyes, damage the blood vessels, complicate eye surgeries, and lead to diseases that hinder normal vision like diabetes and heart disease.
Our eye health is directly related to our overall health. But we don’t generally think about our eye health. We hear so much in the media and from our doctors about lifestyle choices including diet and exercise being related to heart health, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and now with rising rates of diabetes, our morning glucose or blood sugar levels.
Recently I was asked to do a talk about eye health to a group of seniors. It was a great exchange and they liked the healthy, colorful, tasty food samples too. In preparation for the talk I did lot’s of research and here is what I found.
As rates of chronic disease like diabetes rise, along with an aging population, rates of blindness and low vision are expected to double to affect 6.6 million Americans by 2030.
However, aging does not automatically equate to decreased vision, provided you’ve properly nourished your eyes through the years. (1) The way we take care of ourselves with diet, exercise, and other lifestyle choices matters to our eyes. (2)
So, what should you make sure you are doing to nourish, protect and take care of your eyes?
The following are recommendations for specific nutrients, vitamins, foods, and lifestyle choices. The studies and additional more technical information are footnoted.
1. Eat foods rich in lutein (3), nicknamed “the eye vitamin”, and zeanthanin which are found in high concentrations in your macula and retina. These foods include:
- Leafy green vegetables (turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, Romaine lettuce, spinach)
- Egg yolks (organically raised and pastured)
- Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits)
- Orange vegetables (carrots, squash, orange pepper
Lutein is water-soluble so you want to eat these foods with some healthy fat. Think olive oil for sautéed or raw salad greens, or an egg cooked with olive or grape seed oil. I like to have orange segments with a few chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut for a snack.
2. Get your vitamins, preferably through whole fruits and vegetables, and wild seafood with high levels of Omega-3. Eye vitamins help keep your vision accurate by strengthening the lens, cornea, retina, and macula. They are especially important for precise vision since they prevent cataracts, which cloud the lens and make it hard for light to be focused.
Here are the vitamins you want in your diet specifically to help with eye health.
- Vitamin E, A, C (4)
- Selenium – found in a variety of foods including Brazil nuts
- Zinc - one of the most important nutrients for helping with nutrient absorption and allowing for proper waste elimination, which fights inflammation and cellular damage. Zinc benefits tissues within the eyes because it plays a crucial role in proper cell division and cell growth, maintaining healthy circulation, balancing hormones. (5)
- Copper – important for glaucoma
3. Eat these whole foods that benefit eye health
- High fiber foods (soaked beans, legumes, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, sprouted soaked greens)
- Green beans
- Black currant (contains some of the highest level of antioxidant anthocyanin’s (flavonoids) found in nature. It is also rich in essential fatty acids. Since black currants are not readily available in whole food form, you can use black currant seed oil in a capsule)
- Bilberry (a close relative of the blueberry) (6)
- Tropical Fruits (papaya, mango, kiwi, melon, guava)
- Corn
- Red Bell peppers
- Peas
- Nuts and seeds (sunflower, sesame, hazelnut, almond, brazil nuts)
- Wild caught seafood (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, halibut, tuna, krill) (7)
4. Follow these other lifestyle recommendation that also come into play for eye health
- Quit Smoking - as smoking ramps up free radical production
- Limit Alcohol - alcohol reduces blood flow to the eyes.
- Limit caffeine - increases stress hormones and blood pressure, and causes blood sugar swings. Tolerance for caffeine is reduced with age.
- Exercise - helps manage and prevent high blood pressure, which is important in glaucoma prevention
- Processed foods and hydrogenated oils - causes inflammation and cellular oxidation (8)
- Sugar - speeds aging, cellular oxidation, high blood pressure, high glucose levels
- Trans fats - interferes with omega 3 fats in your body
- Body Weight – manage your healthy weight, or lose weight if you are overweight or obese. This can help prevent diabetes.
- Limit indoor “blue light” from screens and get outdoor light, but wear UV protective sunglasses.
- Limit Aspartame - vision problems are one of the symptoms of too much aspartame.
- Limit Simple Carbohydrates – limit or remove cereals, pasta, white rice, white flour, processed grains (bread) and fructose.
(1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 87% of Americans are not meeting vegetable intake and 75% of Americans are not meeting fruit intake recommendations for good nutrition.
(2) The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (2001 sponsored by the National Eye Institute) found that poor diet was a major risk factor for age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Estimates show that more than 25 million people worldwide are affected by age-related macular degeneration or cataracts, especially people aged 55 and older living in Western nations – most likely because their diets are low in key nutrients but high in things that cause inflammation.
(3) Researchers at Harvard University have found that supplementing with six milligrams daily of lutein can lower the risk for macular degeneration by an average of 43% .
(4) Vitamin E, A, C work together to keep cells and tissues strong and protected from effects of inflammation. Taking these vitamins has been shown to improve healing and vision in people undergoing laser eye surgery. Certain studies have found people have about 25% lower risk of developing advanced stages of macular degeneration when consuming at least 400 IU of vitamin E daily, especially taken with Vitamin A (as beta-carotene), Vitamin C, and zinc.
(4) According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, a healthy diet high in vitamins E, A, C and zinc can also fight glaucoma (tunnel vision, vision loss), that’s caused by damage to the optic nerves in the eyes.
(5) Studies have found that zinc in combination with other vitamins helps protect the retina and lower risk for macular degeneration. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (2001 sponsored by the National Eye Institute) showed 40-80 milligrams a day intake of zinc, taken with antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C, slows progression of advanced macular degeneration by about 25 % and visual acuity loss by 19 % in people with high risk for these diseases.
(6) A 2005 study in the Advances in Gerontology showed long term supplementation of bilberry extract is effective in prevention of macular degeneration and cataract.
(7) Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C are beneficial for those whose immune systems have been weakened due to poor diets, chronic stress and illness.
(7) Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and slow down the effects of aging. They help stabilize blood sugar levels, which lowers inflammatory responses, helps to fight eye damage caused by diabetes, improves circulation and helps stop cells from mutating. Omega-3 fatty acid and DHA is concentrated in your eye’s retina.
(7) Wild Salmon also contains astaxanthin, which is one of the most important nutrients for the prevention of blindness.
(8) Oxidative damage can cause problems with blood reaching the eyes, damage the blood vessels, complicate eye surgeries, and lead to diseases that hinder normal vision like diabetes and heart disease.