Eat healthy, See healthy !!

Eat healthy, See healthy !!

“A healthy diet is the foundation for healthy eyes.”

Eating healthy isn’t always easy, but committing to a healthy diet can be one of the smartest decisions a person can ever make. Not everybody who is thin is healthy, and not everyone who is overweight is unhealthy, but eating right can improve health for all. Food choices play a very important role in determining optimum eye health.

Sadly, in the present era of readily available junk and packaged foods, healthy nutritious food has lost its place in one’s daily diet. The attractive packaging used to promote junk foods entices people of all age groups to indulge themselves little realising that such foods are actually detrimental to their health. The word “junk food”is self-explanatory; it indicates its harmful effect on health.

When junk food is consumed very often, the excess fat, carbohydrates, and processed sugarfound in such foods contributes to an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight gain, and many other chronic health conditions. Also consumers tend to eat too much at one sitting and those who have satisfied their appetite with junk food are less likely to eat healthy foods like fruit, vegetables or dairy products. Studies have shown that regularly consuming junk food can result in clogging of arteries thereby leading to increased risk of heart attacks, even at the young age of 30.

With the emerging fast food trends, diets lack lots of essential nutrients which affects the overall body health and especially the eyes.And, to overcome these deficiencies, people are forced to take supplements/multi-vitamins etc. and spend lots of money on the prescribed pills. The good news is that such deficiencies can be overcome by simply opting for healthy food alternatives. Growing evidence supports the idea that vitamins and minerals in various foods fuel your body and protect vision for the long haul. 

Eye Benefits of Vitamins and Micronutrients

Research suggests that antioxidants and other important nutrients may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Specific antioxidants can have additional benefits as well and good eye care practitioners should advise patients to follow a proper healthy diet because there's no substitute for the quality of life good vision offers. Adding certain nutrients to your daily diet through foods can help preserve your vision.

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients have been shown to be essential for good vision and may protect eyes from sight-robbing conditions and diseases.Incorporating the following foods in one’s diet will help one to get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of these important eye nutrients. Established by the Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Sciences), the RDA is the average daily dietary intake level of a nutrient sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in a specific life stage and gender group.

While the RDA is a useful reference, some eye care practitioners recommend higher daily intakes of certain nutrients for people at risk for eye problems.

(In the following list, mg = milligram; mcg = microgram (1/1000 of a mg) and IU = International Unit.)

Vitamin A

Eye benefits: Vitamin A helps toprotect against night blindness and dry eyes.
Food sources: Beef or chicken liver; eggs, butter, milk.
RDA: 3,000 IU for men; 2,333 IU for women (2,567 IU during pregnancy and 4,333 IU when breast-feeding).

Vitamin C

Eye benefits: Regular intake of vitamin C may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
Food sources: Sweet peppers (red or green), kale, strawberries, broccoli, oranges, cantaloupe.
RDA: 90 mg for men; 70 mg for women (85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg when breast-feeding).

Vitamin D

Eye benefits: Vitamin D is beneficial inreducing the risk of macular degeneration.
Food sources: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, milk; orange juice fortified with vitamin D.
RDA: None, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IU per day for infants, children and adolescents, and many experts recommend higher daily intakes for adults.

The best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun stimulates production of vitamin D in human skin, and just a few minutes of exposure to sunlight each day (without sunscreen) will insure your body is producing adequate amounts of vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Eye benefits:When combined with carotenoids and vitamin C, Vitamin E may reduce the risk of advanced AMD.
Food sources: Almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts.
RDA: 15 mg for teens and adults (15 mg for women during pregnancy and 19 mg when breast-feeding).

Beta-carotene

Eye benefits: When taken in combination with zinc and vitamins C and E, beta-carotene can reduce the progression of macular degeneration.
Food sources: Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, butternut squash.
RDA: None (most supplements contain 5,000 to 25,000 IU).

Bioflavonoids (Flavonoids)

Eye benefits:Bioflavonoids offer usefulprotection against cataracts and macular degeneration.
Food sources: Tea, red wine, citrus fruits, bilberries, blueberries, cherries, legumes, soy products.
RDA: None.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Eye benefits:Lutein and Zeaxanthin may prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
Food sources: Spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, squash.
RDA: None.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Eye benefits:Omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent macular degeneration (AMD) and dry eyes.
Food sources: Cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring; fish oil supplements, freshly ground flaxseeds, walnuts.
RDA: None; but for cardiovascular benefits, the American Heart Association recommends approximately 1,000 mg daily.

Selenium

Eye benefits: When combined with carotenoids and vitamins C and E, Seleniummay reduce the risk of advanced AMD.
Food sources: Seafood (shrimp, crab, salmon, halibut), Brazil nuts, enriched noodles, brown rice.
RDA: 55 mcg for teens and adults (60 mcg for women during pregnancy and 70 mcg when breast-feeding).

Zinc

Eye benefits:Zinc helps vitamin A reduce the risk of night blindness; may play a role in reducing risk of advanced AMD.
Food sources: Oysters, beef, Dungeness crab, turkey (dark meat).
RDA: 11 mg for men; 8 mg for women (11 mg during pregnancy and 12 mg when breast-feeding).
In general, it is best to obtain most nutrients through a healthy diet, including at least two servings of fish per week and plenty of colourful fruits and vegetables.

If you plan to begin a regimen of eye vitamins, be sure to discuss this with your optometrist or ophthalmologist. Taking too much of certain vision supplements can cause problems, especially if you are taking prescription medications for health problems.

Foods that boost your eye health:
Given below are some foods which are considered to be great for eye health. 

1. Fish
   Cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help protect against dry eyes, macular degeneration and even cataracts. If you don't eat seafood, you can get a good supply of omega-3s by using fish oil supplements or taking vegetarian supplements that contain black currant seed oil or flaxseed oil.
   
   
2. Leafy Greens
   Spinach, kale and collard greens, to name a few, are full of lutein and zeaxanthin, plant pigments that can help stem the development of macular degeneration and cataracts. Broccoli, peas and avocados are also good sources of this powerful antioxidant duo.
   
   
3. Eggs
   The vitamins and nutrients in eggs, including lutein and vitamin A (which may protect against night blindness and dry eyes), promote eye health and function.
   
   
4. Whole Grains
   A diet containing foods with a low glycemic index (GI) can help reduce your risk for age-related macular degeneration.
   
   Swap refined carbohydrates for quinoa, brown rice, whole oats and whole-wheat breads and pasta. The vitamin E, zinc and niacin found in whole grains also help promote overall eye health.
   
   
5. Citrus Fruits and Berries
   Oranges, grapefruits, lemons and berries are high in vitamin C, which may reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
   
   
6. Nuts
   Pistachios, walnuts, almonds — whichever type tickles your fancy — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E that boost your eye health.
   
   
7. Colourful Fruits and Vegetables
   Foods such as carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, pumpkin, corn and cantaloupe are excellent sources of vitamins A and C.
   
   And carotenoids — the compounds that give these fruits and vegetables their yellow, orange and red pigments — are thought to help decrease the risk of many eye diseases.
   
   There’s strong, compelling evidence for a potential protective effect of these carotenoids. They are nutritional powerhouses and allegedly contain gobs of antioxidants.
   
   
8. Legumes
   Kidney beans, black-eyed peas and lentils are good sources of bioflavonoids and zinc — and can help protect the retina and lower the risk for developing macular degeneration and cataracts.
   
   
9. Fish Oil, Flaxseed Oil and Black Currant Seed Oil
   These super supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids and have many eye health benefits, including helping to prevent or control dry eye syndrome as well as reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.
   
   
10. Sunflower Seeds
    Help keep your eyes healthy and disease-free by snacking on sunflowers seeds, which are excellent sources of vitamin E and zinc.
    
    
11. Beef
    In moderation, lean beef in the diet can boost eye health. Beef contains zinc, which helps the body to absorb vitamin A and may play a role in reducing risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration.

References:

1. Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. August 2008.
   
   
2. Meta-analysis of dietary essential fatty acids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids as they relate to visual resolution acuity in healthy preterm infants. Pediatrics. June 2000.
   
   
3. Plasma antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids and age-related cataract. Ophthalmology. November 2001.
   
   
4. Nutrition for Healthy Eyes,By Gary Heiting, OD

Ms. Najwa Mansuri (M.Optom)
Lecturer (Optometry)