Ocular
Nutrition:
A Healthy Diet Can Help You Protect Your Eyes and Body
Your eyes are important,
and like anyone else, you want to have good vision for the rest
of your life. To protect your eyes, you may have considered how
you can adjust your diet to achieve optimum ocular nutrition. Scientists
and researchers are looking into the subject of ocular
nutrition as well, and their findings are helping the public
to improve long-term eye health.
Ocular nutrition
research has settled on a few important adjustments you can make
to your diet in the interest of visual health. While ocular nutrition
has not been found to cure eye diseases like age-related macular
degeneration (AMD) and cataract, there is evidence that there
is a link between ocular nutrition and a decreased risk of eye disease.
Antioxidants have
become a major player in ocular nutrition studies. Antioxidants
are molecules that help maintain healthy cells by preventing damage
to cells caused by oxidation. It appears that certain antioxidants
are central to ocular nutrition, namely a category of antioxidants
called carotenoids. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two carotenoids that
are being studied for their role in preventing AMD and eye
cataract. Other substances deemed important to ocular nutrition
are vitamins A, B, C, and E plus beta-carotene, zinc, and selenium.
Foods deemed important to ocular nutrition include:
- Green leafy vegetables rich
in carotenoids (spinach, kale, and collard greens)
- Orange vegetables and fruits
with Vitamin A (yellow squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, papaya,
and mangoes)
- Whole grains rich in Vitamin
B (cereals, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast)
- Fruits and vegetables with
Vitamin C (citrus fruits, potatoes, tomatoes)
- Fish and shellfish (which
contain zinc and other nutrients found to prevent eye disease)
In addition to
consuming a diet aimed to improve ocular nutrition, there are foods
and lifestyle choices you can avoid to promote eye health. Sweets,
smoking, and sunlight are all damaging to your eyes. Fortunately,
it has been found that promoting ocular nutrition is a wonderful
way to maintain health throughout your body.
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