Our post today comes from E. Forte who writes for the Mediterraneanbook.com blog which is the website of the National Board to Protect the Italian Healthy Eating Traditions. He shares his knowledge about the Mediterranean diet to help people learn how to eat healthy and prevent diseases. He offers a free weekly diet menu to help people learn how to start the Mediterranean lifestyle.

When I was younger, I never thought about the things I could do to help preserve my vision as I got older. I have recently discovered that our eyes need nutrition just as much as the rest of our body does. Good vision and healthy eyes are related to how healthy each part of the eye is.

Our eyes are similar to many parts of our bodies because both deteriorate with age. Years of exposure to ultraviolet light, dust, wind, fumes, chemicals, and even extremely cold weather are all threats to our vision.

There are many studies that have proven that one way to keep eyes healthy is with good nutrition. There are certain foods that are particularly good for improving eyesight:

1. Vegetables such as kale, spinach and collard greens – These vegetables are full of carotenoids. Carotenoids help to cut down the chances of macular degeneration. These, plus broccoli, corn, green peas, zucchini, and romaine lettuce also contain two strong antioxidants that help prevent retinal damage and cataracts. Carrots can also help because they contain high amounts of vitamin A and beta carotene.

(Click the image for a kale, spinach, and pear smoothie recipe.)

2. Fruits like blueberries, black currants and apricots – Blueberries and black currants can prevent eye fatigue. Apricots contain a good supply of beta-carotene and lycopene that support good eyesight. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A that can help stop oxidation to all cells and tissues in our bodies, including those in the eye lenses.

3. Avocados – Avocados are another good source of vitamin A and lutein. In fact, they have more lutein than any other fruit and lutein is vital in preventing cataracts and macular degeneration.

4. Whole Grains – Eating high-fiber whole grains rather than processed carbohydrates can lower the glycemic index of our diets. It is believed that a low GI diet can cut by 8% the risk of macular degeneration. We should eat brown rice, whole-wheat bread and pasta, and whole oats instead of these products that contain refined flour and grains.

5. Salmon – Salmon contains two different types of omega-3 fatty acids. Besides being good for the heart and overall health, these omega-3s may either help stop or slow down the onset of eye diseases. You can also find these fatty acids in tuna, walnuts, and flaxseed.

Adhering to a well-balanced and healthy diet can do more to keep our eyes healthy than any other “natural” vision improvement technique. Good nutrition will keep your eyes and vision healthy for years.

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November 22nd, 2011 by sgrissom in Uncategorized | Permalink